Metamorphosis
by SheikahLover
Summary: (AN ACTUAL UPDATE!) All Zelda ever wanted was to enjoy life; yet that never seemed possible with a Mother as controlling as hers. Forced to live through a regime she detests, Zelda's life is thrown upside down after an evening meeting with young and attractive Link in her local park. After their first meeting, life will never be the same for Zelda Winters. (AU. ZeLink).
1. Edited: Prologue

**Disclaimer** – Legend of Zelda is property of Shigeru Miyamoto. All characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owner. I, TriforceandSheikahArts, merely wrote this story for amusement. I receive no profit from the creation of the story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise relating to Legend of Zelda. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><strong>Metamorphosis<strong>

**Pairing:** Zelda/Link

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong> Seventeen-year-old Zelda Winters lives a structurally precise life with her mother, who decides everything for Zelda without her consent. At times, Zelda feels like her life and future are already out of her reach. Fearful of her mother's wrath, Zelda dreams of breaking free of her mother's stern hold on her life, in order to successfully extend her wings and learn to take flight … But it seems like that will never happen …

Yet, one snowy evening, Zelda happens to stumble upon a young boy in a nearby park named Link. Over the course of time, Link slowly begins to teach Zelda what it's like to live and break free of the cocoon her mother has fashioned for her. With his help, she finally summons the courage to step forward and take that first leap to fly forward.

_"No one controls your life, but yourself, Zelda, and that's something that you need to remember. You only live once, so why not make the most of it?"_


	2. Edited: Screw Up

**Chapter One:** Screw Up

**Author's Note:** Please note that the first part of the story is told in third person, and the rest is to be told in first person. Thank you. Also, thank you to my wonderful beta, LaserOfOwnage, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it.

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><p>The music began, and all eyes were locked on the young girl who stood in the center of the room, prepared to begin her set of pirouettes. She began with a soft plie, her left arm reaching forward and her right arm facing to the side. Her right leg was bent, foot touching the floor, ready to go. With her left leg bent too, and the ball of her foot digging into the floor, she was prepared to get into her next position. Holding her head high, her amber eyes glistened with determination on thoughts of doing well. She focused her attention on keeping her shoulders back and stomach tight. Choosing a wall to use for spotting, she pulled herself up into the next position, a releve, and brought her left leg up to her knee, standing on the tips of her right foot. Then, the final step began, turning.<p>

Taking in a breath through her nose, she began the turn, spinning on the tips on her right foot, holding her stomach in, and keeping her head held high. Her arms were held firmly in front of her, forming a small semi-circle just below her chest. With pure determination, she continued turning with optimism, hoping to do just as well as her fellow classmates.

_That's it,_ she thought, concentrating. _Just four more turns to go and you're done._

She started another set.

_Three ..._ Her right leg started to tremble causing her to wobble.

_Two ..._ Her leg was shaking even more, making her whole form weak and uneven.

_One ..._ Then, the worst happened. She fell.

…

Everyone in the entire room gasped, their mouths dropping. Beyond that, it had become silent. No one said a word, but merely stared.

Biting down on her bottom lip, a sniffle escaped from the young girl's lips as she looked up towards the classroom window painfully. Locking eyes with an older woman, her mother, she frowned, noting her obvious displeasure. Unable to look away, she merely got up from the ground and dusted herself off. Muttering a soft apology to her instructor, she curtseyed and asked if she could try again.

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><p>"How could you not get the pirouette? Every other girl in your class got it and you did not." Guenevere Winters complained as she stepped on the breaks, coming up to a red light. "I thought you said that you have been practicing your turns Zelda."<p>

"I have been practicing mother, honestly." I replied and wiped away some tears. "I've been practicing all week." Mother did not look the least bit impressed. I heaved a sigh. "I mean, I have been practicing." Mother hates it when I do not speak with proper English. She thinks any short terms or slang is offensive to the native English language. I heaved another sigh.

"Mother, why do you not believe me?" I asked, glancing down towards my lap. "I have honestly been practicing all week. For two hours a day." I added.

"I would believe you Zelda, if you would have gotten your pirouettes right. But instead, you had to fall onto the ground." She sneered and gripped the steering wheel tighter. I grimaced upon noticing how white her knuckles had become.

"Honestly Zelda, do you know how embarrassing it was to have to watch you fall and make a fool out of yourself? Every other mother in the room was whispering about you and making bad comments about you." She sighed and turned up into the driveway. "And then, when you tried to get back up and start again, you fell. Honestly, that was even more embarrassing to watch than the first time!" She removed her keys from the ignition and clutched them tight in her hands.

"Zelda Elizabeth Winters," I shut my eyes, not liking mother's tone. "I will not tolerate failure from you. Do you understand?"

"I understand Mother." I nodded timidly, tears forming inside of my eyes. "I know that quite well. Since it is the first words you say to me every morning." I exhaled a sigh, feeling a small surge of confidence build up inside me. "And mother, you know that I always do try my best—"

"Stop with your senseless blabber," she cried, slapping a hand down onto the steering wheel. "You are not a child Zelda; therefore, stop complaining about the problem at hand. Do you understand me?"

"Yes mother," I nodded obediently. "I understand and am very sorry for embarrassing you. I will try to not do it anymore." I held back a sniffle. "Please forgive me."

Mother said nothing, but merely glowered in my direction. I refused to look up, scared at what I might see.

"Zelda, you are hopeless." Then with that, she unbuckled her seatbelt, and climbed out of the car. "Next ballet class, I want you to apologize to your teacher once more for your lack of preparation and promise her that you will do better."

"Yes." I mumbled and unbuckled the seatbelt. Mother, who seemed pleased with my reply, merely shut the door and started to make her way up towards the house. I watched her unlock the door and walk inside, before leaning back into the chair and allowing all of my tears and fears to escape from me.

_I'm sorry Mother … I'm sorry for making a fool out of you …_


	3. Edited: Snowy Evenings

**Chapter Two:** Snowy Evenings

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesome beta, RandomButLoved, for editing the chapter. I simply adore the little changes you've made. If anyone has time, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

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><p>I sniffled as I wiped away my remaining tears. Right now, I sat at my white desk, trying my hardest to study for my upcoming Chemistry test. However, no matter how many times I went over the material, nothing would stick in my head. All that would were the words Mother had said to me on the drive home. The words that stated I was a failure and an embarrassment. Those alone were far more effective in remembering than chemistry equations any day.<p>

_"Zelda, you are hopeless."_

"Stop this." I mumbled, shaking my head. "Stop thinking this way." Easier said than done, though. Ever since I've been little, Mother has always been this way. She has always criticized me and put me down, even when I tried my hardest. Nothing pleases her, and I typically find myself wondering if she's ever satisfied with what I do. A perfect score on a test, she doesn't even crack a smile. When I'm nominated and given the star role in all of my dance productions, she doesn't even congratulate me with a pat on the back. No words are exchanged between us on these moments or other ones, except for: "That's good, but couldn't you have done better?"

I've never understood those words fully, even to this day. After all, how can you do better than perfect? There's nothing else above it.

I stifled a sigh. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about this. Actually, there was never a time to be thinking about this. Never would I truly understand or be able to achieve what my Mother expected of me. All I could do was my try my best, aim for the gold, and hope that she would someday understand. "Yeah right..." I rolled my eyes. Like that would ever happen.

The moon would first need to fall down from the sky with a sadistic grin formed across its face, before Mother ever became like that.

"Now, let's see." Flipping through my textbook, I arrived to the lesson our teacher had just taught today. "Chapter two, page fifty-five, Avogadro's number is… the number is..." I knew this. It was easy. Yet, when I thought about it, my mind went black. It almost like my brain had been packed away in a suitcase, flown to another continent, far from Castle Town.

A few more minutes passed, soon when nothing came to mind, I slammed the book shut and got up from my chair. "That's it." Studying could happen later. Right now, I needed to clear my head. All those thoughts about Mother, the dance lessons and everything else was troubling me too much, to allow me to concentrate on my work. "I need to go for a walk. I need a change of scenery." Better yet, I needed to get out of this room and away from my Mother.

I walked over towards my closet and slipped on my warmest gloves, hat and scarf. Sliding on my jacket and zipping it up, I plunked my feet into my warm boots and was all ready to head off. Not forgetting about my wallet and cell phone – both which were safely tucked away in my zipped up pockets – I was prepared for my departure.

Quietly walking towards the window, I opened it up halfway and gazed outside, lost in the sight of the beautiful snowflakes and the freshly covered white ground – the towering street lights illuminating the ground. For a minute, all I could do was stare. It was so pretty. However, a moment later I snapped back to my senses and sneakily made my way down the vines that grew all the way up towards my window.

Sometimes, when I felt like going outside for the night, I would climb down these very same vines and just collapse on the grass. It was nice, just being able to look up into the starry night sky and watch the time pass by. During those moments, they're the ones I can honestly say I was at peace. I never pressured or tired there, just lying on the grass, watching the moon and stars above me.

Pleasantly, I landed onto the ground with a soft thud. Casting a glance towards the window, I noticed that Mother had not heard anything. Most likely, she was too enthralled going over her students' essays and research papers. She was a professor, who worked downtown at the reputable University, United Castle Town. She's best known for her pickiness when it comes to work. I suppose you could say she expects nothing less from perfect from her students. That's why most of her classes are vacant, even though she teaches one of the most sought out classes of the entire University, history of ages.

"I-It's... cold out." I shivered and zipped up my jacket all the way. "M-Maybe a hot chocolate would be nice." I smiled at the thought and decided to head towards the park. There was a vendor approximately in the middle, who was known for selling the best hot chocolates in all of Castle Town. Supposedly, they could even make the gloomiest of people smile. "Who knows... maybe it'll c-cheer me up." With that notion, I set off for the park, my hands inside my pockets.

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><p>Hot chocolate in hand, I walked away from the vendor with a wide smile. "Thank you!" I shouted and sat down in a vacant park bench. I didn't expect a response from him only moments later.<p>

"You're welcome sweetie." He replied, causing me to laugh. "I hope you enjoy it!" The vendor, who turned out to be a kind old man, had been nice enough to give me a dollar off when I purchased the hot chocolate. _"You look like you've had a hard day. Maybe this will make you feel better._" He had said as he handed me the drink. "I'll even give you a dollar off, since you're such a cute girl."

I laughed at the thought. He was old enough to be my grandfather, yet was much nicer than mine would ever be. "I guess that's not too nice, now that I think about it." A sweat drop formed behind the back of my head as I started to sip my hot chocolate. It was wonderful. "No wonder this man has such good business..." I thought aloud, smiling. "This drink is spectacular." I took another sip. Just when I was beginning to feel at peace though, a dog barked, causing me to spill my drink.

I cursed under my breath and looked down. The dog was rubbing itself against my leg, almost completely unaware of what it had done. Longingly, I glanced down towards my spilled drink and the half-empty cup that now littered the ground. I sighed. _Could this day get any worse?_

"Excuse me, but did Trouble cause you to spill your drink?" I looked up, noticing a new figure standing in front of me. Judging from the tone of voice, the person was obviously male, and sounded to be quite concerned. A light shade of pink dusted my cheeks as I nodded absentmindedly. The man groaned. "Wonderful job, Trouble. That's the third one you've spilled this month." Trouble barked loudly in response. The man sighed.

"It's no trouble, really. I don't mind." I held up a hand in protest. "Your dog—Trouble—" I corrected myself, "Didn't do anything that bad."

He tilted his head. "But he caused you to spill your drink." The man pointed out obviously. He had a point. And though I didn't want to admit that he was actually right, I kept to the innocent Zelda – begging to the Three above that it would help me for once. _"Zelda, you are hopeless."_ I shook my head violently, which he noticed; but he chose not to comment on thankfully. Slowing raising my eyes back up to him, Mother's words spiralled around my mind – making me hesitate.

"I-It's fine." I plastered a smile onto my face, fully looking up to face him. "Really... don't worry about it." He did not look too convinced. When I watched him run a hand through his hair, it was then I realized how attractive he was. He looked to be my age and was just a foot taller than I was. He had short dirty blonde hair and the cutest ocean blue eyes I had ever seen.

Right now, I actually felt like thanking Trouble for what he had done.

"Anyhow, at least let me buy you another drink. I won't take no for an offer."

I was about to protest, but decided against it. "Alright, you can buy me another drink on one condition." He looked somewhat taken back, but decided to humour me.

"And that would be?"

"What's your name?" I smiled.

He exhaled a sigh. "Well, that's an easy question. My name's Link, and you?"

"It's Z-Zelda. It's very nice to meet you, Link." I cringed, noting how nervous I must have sounded. Damn it, he must think I'm a total dork or something.

"Well Zelda, how about we go and buy you another drink?" He suggested pleasantly. My eyes lit up. He didn't comment whatsoever on my introduction. This meeting was getting off on the right foot. Score one for Zelda. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. There was no point in getting overexcited here. Link was just being kind, that's all. I'm sure if Trouble hadn't spilt my drink, he wouldn't even have noticed I was there. I frowned at the thought. "Zelda, are you okay?" I looked up. Link was watching me with a concerned stare.

My face heated up and I nodded fervently. "I'm q-quite fine. Don't w-worry about me."

He didn't look convinced, but was letting it slide. Thank goodness. "Okay then. Well, the vendor is back this way, so let's get going." He waited for my reply.

"Sure." Together we both then set off for the vendor with Trouble trailing behind almost in triumph. I couldn't help but agree.

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><p>"So Zelda..." Link asked. "Why were you all alone on the bench looking so sad?"<p>

"What?" I looked up, surprised. "What are you talking about, Link?" How did he, this stranger, someone who I have never met, know I was upset? He saw me hesitate before but... was he staring at me or something. _Stop it!_

Link sighed and shook his head. "You know what I mean, Zelda." I shook my head this time. Clearly, I did not. Link looked slightly frustrated, but decided to rephrase his earlier sentence. "Before Trouble came over, you, well… looked kind of troubled," he laughed, finding the remark funny. I raised a brow, but nonetheless offered a meek smile.

"Well, lets just say I haven't had the best night so far."

I licked my lips. The saying was vague but perfectly true. "How so?" Questioned Link. I tensed over. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." He added on moments later, hesitating himself when he noticed the look on my face.

I stared at her new cup's rim. "Do you really want to know?"

Link nodded. "I do. It's never a nice feeling to be upset about something." He was right on that. "Usually, whenever I'm distressed by something, I always find myself wanting to talk about it."

"Even with a stranger?"

"Even with a stranger." He laughed. "I just figured, if you were interested and felt up to it, if you'd like to talk about it."

I sipped at my drink. I still wasn't too sure about this. Though Link was nice, he was still a stranger after all. And I don't feel all that comfortable talking with someone I hardly know – even if they are really,really cute about something as personal and confidential as this.

Link pursed his lips together. "Well, how about this..." He slid closer down the bench. I watched him apprehensively, until he was only three inches away from me. "Zelda, you know how we're both strangers to each other, right?" I nodded, not sure what to say. _Where Is he going with this?_ I wondered. "Well, since strangers don't usually end up meeting again, how about you tell me?"

"Link..." I sighed. Goddesses _above_ he was persistent. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope, I'm afraid not." He chuckled.

I grinned and looked away. For a minute, I didn't say anything. All we both heard was the sound of Trouble snoring. Finally, what seemed like an eternity – but was only about two minutes, I looked towards Link with a hearty smile. "Link, prepare yourself for a long and tedious story."

He playfully rolled his eyes. "I think I can handle it, Zelda."

"We'll see." I frowned, then added in a lower tone: "We'll see."

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><p>"So you're upset because of what your mom said to you, no?"<p>

I nodded, sniffling. "It's not just the words, but how she said them, too." Link nodded, wanting me to continue. "Her tone of voice was so rude… so scary." I cringed at the thought. "And when she looked at me, it made me feel so awful."

"Zelda..." Link said soothingly, his voice calm and sincere. "I'm sorry to hear that." He sounded so genuine and concerned. It made my heart palpitate with joy. "Are you okay now though?" I shrugged. Link frowned. "Well, do you feel a little bit better since you've talked about it."

I exhaled loudly. "A bit." I said honestly.

He smiled. "That's good to know." I leaned further back against the cold bench and looked up into the sky. It was a full moon and few stars were out. It was quite pretty. "Zelda, would it be okay if I... gave you some advice?"

"Huh?" I looked over towards Link. My eyes narrowed. "What sort of advice?"

"Its nothing bad!" He attempted to reassure me, raising his hands up and startling Trouble beneath us since the leash was in his hands. "I just want to give you my opinion on your current situation." _Fair enough._ I nodded, allowing him to continue. "Well, to me, it sounds like you're in quite a bind."

"That's an understatement, Link..." I grumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Anyhow, Zelda, don't take any offense by what I say next. But when listening to your story, I couldn't help but think of a butterfly."

"A butterfly?" The image of a beautiful orange and black Monarch Butterfly fluttering towards a group of flowers formed inside of my mind. "Where did you get that idea from?" I questioned, curious. I honestly wanted to know.

"We'll see." Link scratched the back of his head. "I didn't phrase the earlier sentence correctly."

"Oh. Well then, how was it supposed to be phrased?"

"This way." He blurted out. Then realizing just how loud his voice actually was, he covered his mouth with his hands and sighed. I giggled. "Z-Zelda..." He coughed, attempting to regain some of his lost composure. "Your entire process – how you're feeling now and everything – sort of reminds me of the stages a caterpillar has to go through in order to become a butterfly."

"Okay... go on." I urge him.

A sweat drop formed behind the back of his head. "Right now Zelda, as I listen to you speak. I imagine you to be a caterpillar."

"A caterpillar." I repeated dryly.

So far, I was having my doubts about Link's opinion on the topic I shared with him. "Zelda." He huffed, annoyed – making me hesitate. "Just think about it, okay? Really listen and think about how a caterpillar first starts out." He exhaled a sigh. "At the start, it's quite small and frail. I guess you could say the caterpillar keeps to itself." We both laughed, though already, I was beginning to see the truth behind his words.

"It doesn't have much confidence in itself. And yeah, I know that caterpillars don't need confidence to live." I smiled at the remark. He was trying to make this sound cute. "But slowly, day by say, the caterpillar learns to stand up for itself by becoming a butterfly. Through the process of metamorphosis, it becomes a striking and strong butterfly."

"That's true." I noted. "Butterflies are considered to be quite beautiful."

"Exactly." Link agreed. "Do you now understand what I mean, Zelda?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

Though his view on the topic might be a bit weird, it fitted the situation perfectly. "You know, when you really think about it, life in itself is kind of like a butterfly's metamorphosis." He laughed, tilting his head back. I smiled, finding his antics cute. "It takes time for anyone to reach the stages from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly, and finally learn how to extend their wings and fly." Link sounded so serious here. It almost had me wondering, if perhaps, he, too, had experienced this sort of growth somewhere down the road. "Just like what you're trying to achieve, Zelda." He finished.

"Just like… what am _I _trying to achieve?" I repeated and pointed a finger to myself. He grunted in agreement. For a few minutes, neither one of us said anything again. I was still in the process of absorbing what Link had just told me, and Link looked to be playing with Trouble. It wasn't until he had asked for my phone number, that I snapped out of my thoughts. "Y-You want my number?"

"I know it's a bit straightforward, but I like… I like talking with you." He admitted and looked away with a shrug. "Besides, if you ever want to talk again, about anything else, then you could give me a call, if you wanted to." I suppressed a chuckle at how wide his eyes looked.

"…I-I'd like that." I admitted honestly, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Really?!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide. For a minute, I just laughed and handed him my phone from my pocket. He gave me his and we both added our numbers into each other's contacts list. Once finished, he handed me back my phone and sat up. Trouble barked and shook his entire body, which was covered with fresh snow. Both of us laughed. "Anyhow, Zelda, it's getting late. I need to start heading home." He confessed sadly.

I nodded. "So do I." I was sad at the thought of having to leave Link, but knew that I needed to get home before my Mother noticed I had snuck off. Exchanging a reluctant goodbye with Link, both of us set off down different directions, heading for home.

I couldn't contain my excitement soon after he had gone out of my eyesight...


	4. Edited: Evening Plans

**Chapter Three:** Evening Plans

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, LaserOfOwnage, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it.

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><p>Colours of dark green and indigo clouded my vision as I stood beside my locker. All around me, students of various grades hustled and bustled through the hallways, heading towards their next class or going off to lunch. Since St. Nayru's Preparatory School ran on two different lunch schedules, lunch one and lunch two, students and teachers alike ate at different times. Luckily, I had lunch one, which meant I could eat now.<p>

My stomach growled hungry for food as I struggled to unlock my padlock. Twisting and turning the lock, thoughts of eating the sandwich I had prepared last night after returning home from my conversation with Link clouded my mind.

…

…

…

_Link._

Just thinking about him caused me to reach for my cell phone and scroll through my small contact list. Right underneath the family doctor, his name was listed.

"My third number," I mumbled shyly, smiling as I reached for my lunch. It was inside a small lunchbox. Yes, I still used a lunchbox. I am a junior in high school, and still one of the few people who doesn't buy lunch.

"Not that you can't blame me." I mumbled and began to walk towards the overly bright exit doors. The lunches prepared in the cafeteria are beyond repulsive. They taste like dirt, and most of the food – meat included – looks like an odd combination of rotten vegetables and expired milk. Yuck.

"Ah, peace at last," I exclaimed and sat down underneath a shady tree. Well, to be specific, it's my private shady tree. Ever since my first year of high school, I had begun to come outside when I couldn't stand sitting in the cafeteria. It was awkward sitting alone day after day. No one really wanted to sit with me, I guess. After all, the entire table was usually empty after I sat down at the start of lunch.

"And then I said, no way, and he said—"

"No way!"

"Exactly, like, how did you know?"

Curious, I glanced towards the left side and noticed a group of girls sitting together. They were crowded underneath a nearby tree with a pink blanket spread out across the grass. There were four of them, and each looked the same with their hair pinned back with far too many pins and hair products. And, just like every other girl who attends this school, they wore the uniform … quite disgustingly. I held back a grimace as I noticed the obvious cleavage they were revealing and the way their skirts were rolled up so high, you could almost see their underwear. It was nasty; almost as bad as the school's cafeteria food. Double yuck.

"And then what happened?"

"Well he …" While one girl trailed off, explaining what sounded to be the summary of an awful night on the town, I found myself listening. Interested in what they were saying, what the other girls' reactions were, and so on. It already fascinated me, how they could get together like this and talk about such stupid stuff. I mean really, you figure that after the fourth or fifth time of making the same mistake, they would have the learned the error from their ways and moved on. I guess not.

I unravelled my sandwich from its plastic bag and took a bite. The girl was still talking, murmuring a little louder than before – most likely to place even more emphasis on the story. The other girls were eating it up like dessert. They were putty in the girl's hands, and it had me wondering whether or not that girl knew it too.

"Anyway, to get the point, he…" And that's when it stopped. The girl's voice had gotten far too quiet. I could no longer hear anything.

_Aww,_ I pouted. _It was just getting to the good part._

"Oh, well." I shrugged. It's not the end of the world. I reached for my backpack and removed my history textbook. My teacher, Mr. Rauru, had assigned the next chapter to read for homework, and it was expected that we have it finished by tomorrow. It's not that long, only about twenty-five pages or so. Besides, I like History. To me its fun learning about the facts and events of important historical events… Mr. Rauru knows quite a bit about the history of Hyrule, and is always telling us such cool stuff. It's my favourite class and he's one of my favourite teachers.

I flipped the book open and turned to the first page. My eyes scanned over the page's contents, when suddenly my phone vibrated. Shocked, I looked up, wondering who could have texted me.

"Maybe it's just the phone company," I suggested. Occasionally, I would get messages from the company, informing me that either my airtime was about to expire, or about events happening throughout the company yearly. Really, it wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to tell me about some new phone they're selling or something like that.

"Huh?" My mouth dropped. This was no message from the phone company, but rather a text from Link.

_**'Hey Zelda, how are you? I hope you're feeling better about last night. If you still want to talk about that or anything else, I'm here for you.'**_

I reread the message at least six times before replying. Never one for texting, I was a little slow with my reply. _**'Hey Link. Yeah, I'm feeling a little better. Thank you for spending your time with me last night… listening to me ramble about my problems… I really appreciate it. It was nice to get that feeling off my chest.'**_

No less than a minute later, I received a reply. My eyebrows rose.

_**'That's good to know. But you said that you're only feeling a little bit better. If you don't mind me asking, what else is troubling you?'**_

A blush stained my cheeks. Although Link was curious, he phrased his curiosity in such a way that almost made it sound sweet. I suppressed a laugh and replied, explaining how I was still frustrated from my mother's earlier words and her harsh tone of voice.

_**'Zelda, if you're interested, do you want to meet up again to talk about it?'**_

"Oh my!"

I wasn't expecting such a question.

_**'If you would like, how about we meet at the same spot?'**_

I smiled. _**'That sounds like a plan.'**_ I fired off the message, and then remembered that I had forgotten to include a time. Since mother would still be at the University and wouldn't arrive home until well after midnight, I could spare a little bit of time with Link.

_**'How about 7:30 P.M?'**_ I hope I didn't sound too excited in the text. I've never been good with these situations before – heck; I've never been in situations like this before.

My stomach then growled wanting food. Taking a bite, I longingly gazed towards my phone, eagerly waiting Link's response. I guess now I sort of understood how the other girls at school feel when waiting for their friends or boyfriends to reply. The wait is excruciating; unbearable even. Right now, a part of me feels like screaming at the phone and demanding it to respond.

My eyes widened at the thought. Just then the phone buzz – I almost dived for it, excited as I clicked the middle button.

"Let's see." Like a puppy meeting its owner for the first time, I scanned the text, my history book long forgotten.

_**'Change of plans. Instead of spending time at the park, how would you feel about bowling?'**_

"Bowling?" I had never bowled in my life. A few times when I was younger, I remember being invited to such parties but never attending since mother found them to be a waste of time. Fast-forward to right now, and you have a girl who has never bowled a day in her life. Debating the situation for a minute, I decided to go with my gut instinct and texted the first thing that came to mind. _**'Sure… we meet in the park and go from there?'**_

Before allowing myself anymore time to think, I sent the text and released a large huff of air. I don't know if what I was doing was the right decision, but I did know that it was too late to take back the text and could now only wait for Link's reply.

My phone vibrated. I looked down.

_**'Sounds like a plan. See you at the park's vendor at 7:30.'**_

And just like that, Link and I had plans for the evening.


	5. Edited: First Date?

**Chapter Four:** First Date?

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, LaserOfOwnage, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it.

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><p>It was pretty cold outside when I walked towards the vendor. Like last night, it was snowing, but tonight the skies weren't clear. Those mean grey clouds were keeping that stunning moon and the twinkling stars hidden from view.<p>

I pouted, disappointed by the prospect of being unable to see the lovely stars.

"Zelda, there you are." Standing next to the vendor's cart was Link. He was wearing his usual winter clothes, but this time he also sported a bright red hat. I stifled a laugh.

"Have you been waiting long?" I called and jogged towards him.

"Not really." He shook his head. "I was just having a chat with Talon here, as I waited for you to come by." By Talon, did he mean the vendor? I leaned over and noticed the same vendor from last night, smiling towards me.

"Hello young lady. My, it's nice to see you looking so happy." He beamed and curled his moustache with his fingers. I smiled and suppressed another laugh.

"Talon is an old friend of mine," Link explained. "Last night, we really didn't chat much, because, well, you know why." Last night's chat resurfaced inside my mind. I nodded, motioning for him to continue speaking. "So, to make up for last night's missed out chat, the two of us are catching up a bit."

I raised my hands in defence. "I am not interrupting anything then, am I?"

Link and Talon shared a glance, their smiles widening. Question marks formed above my head. _What's so funny and why are they smiling like that?_ I wondered. Yet, before I had the chance to ask, Link grabbed me by the arm and away from Talon.

"L-Link, why don't you keep talking with him?" I asked, glancing behind me to watch Talon wave us away. "I mean, you said so before that you were having a conversation with him. If you want to go back, I completely understand. In fact—"

"Zelda, it's fine. Don't worry so much about it, okay?"

I heaved a sigh. Really, that was not what I was hoping for, but I suppose I had better just go along with it. Reluctantly, I agreed. Link smiled and led me over towards the parking lot. As we trudged through the snow, I kept my gaze locked down on the ground, observing the white and grand snow.

"Here we are, Zelda, my pride and joy." I looked up and saw a dark brown car. It appeared to be a two-seater and had quite the large trunk. I raised a brow. Was this supposed to impress me? Never one for cars, I had no clue about what I should say or do.

"Link … it's nice." I struggled to complement the car. Really, how was I supposed to complement a vehicle? I didn't know anything about cars – besides how to drive them.

Link chuckled. I shot him a glare, partially annoyed. Had he found my response dumb? Perhaps, even stupid?

"Well, Zelda, that's certainly … something to say." He rubbed the back of his neck and withdrew his hat. I merely shook my head and crossed my arms. "Anyway, let's get going." Eager to begin the evening, Link unlocked the car, and surprised me by opening the door for me.

"Ladies first," he replied, offering me a Cheshire grin.

_So he wants to play like that, huh?_ I arched a brow. _Well, two play at that game…_

Grinning largely, I haughtily raised my head whilst winking comically. "Why, thank you very much, young man."

He stifled a laugh. "Oh, you're quite welcome, my gracious Madam." He shut the door and then made his way towards the driver's seat. I watched, interested, as he climbed inside and shut the door. After popping the key into the ignition, he cranked the heaters to full blast and buckled his seatbelt. I saw him look towards me, those ocean blue eyes of his twinkling with mischief.

"Off we go," he mouthed and began to drive.

I leaned my head against the back of the seat and stared at the car's roof. From what I could tell, the interior appeared to be lined with dark leather.

_Just like mother's car,_ I thought grimly.

"Zelda, is everything okay?" Link asked when coming to a stoplight.

I nodded. "Yes. Everything is fine, Link."

"You sure?"

"One hundred percent sure, Link."

He nodded and soon eased his way into traffic. "That's good to know."

A little while later, Link pulled into a parking lot that I had never seen before. Curious, I glanced out the window and noticed that only a few cars were parked outside.

_Weird, _I thought, confused. Bowling seemed like a regular pastime many people my age would enjoy, so why weren't there more people here?

Link unbuckled his seatbelt. "Zelda, is everything okay?" He waved a hand in front of my face. I blinked, snapping back to reality.

"I'm just a bit confused," I mumbled and unbuckled my own seatbelt.

"About what?" he sounded interested.

I smiled. "How come there aren't so many cars here?" I pointed towards the vacant parking lot.

"Simple. It's a weeknight," Link replied. "A lot of people don't come to this bowling alley unless it's a Friday or Saturday night." I nodded. "Sometimes, it's even packed on a Sunday night, but not too often."

"Interesting," I mused. I heard Link chuckling under his breath. I narrowed my eyes. He was laughing at me again.

"You sure are something Zelda." He muttered. "But come on, enough sitting around. Let's go have some fun." Together, we exited the car and made our way towards the bowling alley. Since it was my first time here, Link led the way, showing me where to go. First, before we could enter to the actual bowling alley, we had to check in our coats and boots. It only cost one rupee – fifty cents per person – but Link refused to let me pay my half, no matter how much I rebutted. "Don't worry, Zelda. It was only one rupee." Yet, from how things looked, it seemed like he intended to pay for the entire evening.

Even when we went to get our bowling shoes, Link paid for them and the lane. By now, I was fed up with his constant spending, and knew that if I wanted to have any say in this, it was time to act – and be persistent about it.

"Link, while it's nice of you to pay for everything thus far, I don't want to be dependent on you all evening." I adjusted the purse I had slung over my left shoulder. "Let me pay for something next time, alright?"

He seemed stunned. I arched a brow. "Um, okay …" He scratched the back of his head. "If you _really _want to, Zelda … you can pay next time." He seemed baffled by the idea. Almost like he had never expected that I would even suggest such a thing.

I beamed, pleased. "That's wonderful." While I wasn't an expert in relationships – this being my first outing alone with a boy and all – I still refused to let him pay for everything. I had money of my own, and intended to use it. So, regardless of how Link feels about it, I will be buying something tonight for the _two _of us.

"Link, if you want something to eat or drink later on, I'm buying." Before he had the chance to protest, I sent him a glowering look, which thankfully made him hold his tongue. I suppressed a laugh. "That's better."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You are something else, Zelda," he said again. I didn't understand what he meant by that exactly, but I let it pass ... again. "Anyway, are you ready?" He clasped his hands together and grinned eagerly. I gulped and tugged at my collar. Maybe now would be a good time to tell him.

"Link, I don't know how say this exactly, but how do you … bowl?"

Link was suddenly quiet. He stared and then replied, "Zelda, have you bowled before?"

My cheeks turned red. Shyly, I looked away. "No."

"Wow." He licked his lips. "I hadn't expected that – no offence, Zelda."

"Hey!" I hissed, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Mother has never approved of such activities like this before, so excuse me for not having the opportunity to go bowling before."

Link leaned over and placed his hands onto my shoulder. "Zelda, I don't mean anything bad by that. I'm just surprised, that's all." I felt a little bit better after his explanation, but it still didn't make me feel anymore comfortable about the idea of bowling.

"If you want, I can teach you how to bowl. It's pretty simple actually." I looked out into the various lanes and watched other families bowl with their young kids. A few elderly people even occupied some of the lanes, and looked to be having quite a bit of fun, watching the ball roll down the lane and knock over the pins.

"Link," I looked back towards him. "That sounds great."

He grinned. "That's the spirit, Zelda."

* * *

><p>"Zelda, the trick to bowling is to make sure to keep your two fingers and thumb inside the ball's holes, and to release your hold on the ball right before the foul line." Link instructed, standing right beside the container which housed the bowling balls. "If you want, I can help you with your first throw."<p>

I smiled. "That would be very much appreciated."

"Go and pick a ball." I moved to the small collection of balls and decided to go with an indigo coloured one. "That's a nice choice," Link laughed. I giggled alongside him and walked towards the lane.

Link spoke clearly. "Zelda, line yourself up like I showed you before." Following his words, I got into the proper stance. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Link walk behind me and slip his arm below mine in order to help me guide the ball. Sharing a small smile, together we moved our arms back and then forward. "Now, release." Letting go of the ball, I watched it roll down the lane, successfully knocking down four pins.

Grinning, I turned around. "Awesome!" I laughed and clapped my hands together.

Link laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "You certainly are excited."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Of course I would be excited. This is my first time bowling, after all, and I'm enjoying it so much." I said with another giggle.

"That's good to know," he murmured. "Knowing you're happy about being here makes me happy." I felt a blush creeping up onto my cheeks. Cursing inwardly, I shook my head and watched as Link picked up his ball—a bright green one—and bowled a perfect strike.

A scowl formed over my face. He looked over and chuckled. "Don't worry; by the end of the night, you'll be bowling strikes too." His tone was humorous, I'll give you that. Yet, I couldn't help but smile. There was something so captivating about Link; something that made me feel excited and content around him. It was a sensation I was growing to like, and hoped to experience again.

"I hope you're right." I retaliated, "Because if not … the consequences will be dire." I stuck out my tongue. He merely shook his head and winked. My eyes widened.

"Zelda, just keep practicing," he chastised playfully and handed me my ball.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah…"

About an hour into bowling, Link and I were having a great time. By my fifth try, I had become much more successful and was really beginning to get into the game. Though we weren't keeping score, I knew Link was winning. It was obvious to tell, what with all of the strikes he kept bowling. So far, I hadn't gotten one but eventually I would – hopefully.

Chuckling at the thought, I walked towards the food stand. Since I haven't had dinner yet, I felt a bit peckish. I had asked Link if he wanted anything to eat and he replied "No," much to my chagrin. So, alone I stood in line, waiting for my chance to order … when suddenly just a few spots in front of me, I noticed someone who looked oddly familiar. It took me a minute to realize who the person was before my jaw dropped. It was Ilia Ordona, also-known-as the biggest gossip at my dance academy. My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. I bit my bottom lip.

_Goodness, if she sees me here with Link, the chances of everyone finding out – including mother – are sky high. _My face paled. I couldn't let that happen.

"Nya…" Quickly scampering out of line, I rushed back to Link. If I was correct with my numbers Ilia was third in line from me. That meant I had a few minutes before she could place her order and turn around, thus noticing Link and I. Really, it didn't help that this bowling alley was quite small. It was a miracle in itself that she didn't notice either of us yet. For that, I was suddenly overly thankful.

"Zelda, where's your food?" Link asked when I came charging forward. Upon noticing my red face and hazy eyes, he demanded to know what was wrong.

Huffing and puffing, I pointed over towards the vendor. "Ilia … O-Ordona," I breathed. "She's … she's here."

Even Link looked shocked. **"What?"** He dropped the ball he was holding. We both watched it roll into the gutters and get stuck halfway. That wasn't good. "Are you serious, Zelda? She's here!?"

I nodded, confused. How did Link know her?

Seeming to be able to read my thoughts, Link explained, "She attends my school. She's really nice and all, but is a bit too … clingy for my liking." He cringed. "How do you know her?"

"She's in my dance class," I replied, my breath catching up with me.

"So, I take it then that you want to leave?" He asked. I nodded wholeheartedly. Link nervously glanced around the alley. "Zelda, if we leave, we have to do so discreetly."

"Let's just go!" I urged him and reached for his hand. Together, we ran towards the nearest set of stairs and quickly crept our way through the area. I cast another glance over towards the confection stand and noticed that she was no longer there. My face paled.

"Link, Link, she's not there!" I hissed as we rounded another bend.

He stopped walking. "What do you mean she's not there?" He demanded his face fearful.

"I don't know." I replied evenly. "She could be anywhere." Matching expressions graced our faces. For once, we were both scared. This is not good. If Ilia caught any one of us here, the consequences would be off the charts. I gulped and tugged at my collar.

"Zelda, okay, stay calm, this is what we'll do." Link whispered a few words into my ear. I nodded and continued to watch the area. So far, his plan sounded good. It could have worked perfectly, until we both heard a voice right behind us shout: "Zelda Winters and Link Gaiden, is that you together … on a date?"

Link and I shared a glance.

"Oh shit." We mouthed in unison.


	6. Edited: Rumours Spread Quickly…

**Chapter Five:** Rumours Spread Quickly…

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it and I simply adore the little tidbits you added to make this chapter shine.

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><p>"Ilia…" I smiled and gulped deeply, holding back the urge to say something which I will certainly regret in the near future. "Its, uh… lovely to see you," I stuttered, trying to find a proper way to greet the girl – and yet, there wasn't really a proper one. To be frank, I've never liked the girl – never since the day I first saw her – and I don't think I ever will. She gossips way too much for my liking and makes me feel uncomfortable whenever I'm around her during dance class. Just thinking about how quickly those lips move, whispering during break is enough to make me shiver with disgust.<p>

"Zelda," She nodded in acknowledgement. "It's nice to see you too." Her tone was nowhere near friendly, and I could feel my eyes narrowing at her tone. It was obvious to tell that she was not happy to see me, especially with how close I was standing to the boy next to me. She then turned and directed her attention towards Link, folding her hands behind her back. I noticed that she was smiling much more… seductively too. I gagged. Bleh!

"Link, what are you doing here?" She batted her eyelashes, giggling girlishly, only to flash a disgusted look over to myself before looking back over at Link with a look of adoration. "And how do you know Zelda?" Link stood firm, his face stoic. I leaned over, studying him for a moment. From the way he was eyeing Ilia, he made it seem as though she were some sort of disease – which I could barely stifle a laugh at.

"Ilia, it's nice to see you too." He shoved his hands into his pockets, uninterested. "Well, I've known Zelda for a while now, yeah. How long, though, I'm not sure…" He was stretching the truth a little bit, and we both knew that Ilia knew it herself. We've only known each other for less than forty-eight hours. That is most definitely not "a while".

Ilia's eyes narrowed, which surprised me a little at how she was all flirty one minute and then all jealous the next in front of him. "I see." She muttered. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her nature, only to stop half-way through when I saw her glancing towards me. "So, how did you two meet?"

I almost shot back: "Keep your pointy little nose out of it!", but I had to hold back for Link's sake at the very least.

Link and I exchanged worried glances nonetheless. I knew I could not tell Ilia the truth. If not, by tomorrow morning at the least, every single person would know I had snuck out of my bedroom while I was supposed to be studying for my stupid Chemistry test. I balled my hands into tight fists and suppressed a hiss, biting my tongue.

"We met in the park." Link said, causing my mouth to open. I could see where this was going a mile away. Debating what to say for a few moments, I soon decided that the only words I needed to get him to shut up was his name. I snapped my head over to him, noting a hesitant look in his eyes. Feeling slightly doubtful for a moment, I soon shook the thoughts away and attempted to keep him quiet.

"Link…" I protested.

He glanced towards me and shrugged his shoulders, only fuelling my irritation. "It's nothing to be embarrassed by Zelda. A lot of people meet up in the park." I let my shoulders slump forwards in defeat, knowing that there was very little point in trying to stop him from shutting Ilia up.

"Do you mean you've seen each other before that?" Ilia persisted with a raised eyebrow. I almost wanted to ask the Goddesses why I was stuck in this situation out loud, but I barely held myself back and did it in my head. I bet you Goddesses are laughing your heads off up there, aren't you?

I narrowed my eyes at her, but she pretended not to notice. "No…" I gritted my teeth, although I could hold back. "That is how we met. I was walking through the park and Link's dog came up to me. By the time I had noticed the dog, Link arrived. The end." Ilia sighed, and I knew that a comment was coming next.

"Oh Zelda, you never were a good storyteller, were you?" My nails dug even deeper into my skin, making me stuff them behind my back.

"It's the truth though."

"Ilia…" Link groaned, turning both of our attention's back to him. He tilted his head at her, and yet none of us expected what he was going to say. "Why are you here?" I smirked, not being able to hold be back. Yes, I wondered inwardly. Why is she here?

A look of surprise crossed her face, and she batted her eyelids again as if Link should have known the answer. "I thought you knew." She rubbed the back of her neck, making Link raise his eyebrow at her. "I'm spending time with Ruto. It's our usual hangout night." Even without looking at him, I knew that Link's face was going pale.

"So Ruto is here?" He asked and tugged at his shirt collar, making Ilia giggle again for no apparent reason.

"That's right." She chirped, bringing her hands back around into her vision so she could play a small thumb war with herself. "She's in the restroom right now, but should be out soon. Oh!" She quickly added before either of us could speak to make our escapes, clasping her hands together. "Why not wait for her? Then we can all bowl together!"

I opened my mouth to offer some reason to get out of this, even if it meant Ilia and Ruto talking about me behind my back, but it was Link who cut in. "I'm sorry but we can't!" Link blurted out, surprising us both. I watched him, completely stunned. He waved his hands back and forth, his cheeks tinting a shade of pink. Is he embarrassed? I wondered, confused.

"Why?" Ilia pouted, making me grind my teeth even more.

"We really need to get going." Link continued, almost too fast to hear the excuse, and began to lead me towards the staircase. "I promised Aryll, my little sister, that I would play her favourite video game with her tonight. She was really looking forward to it, and I would hate to ruin it for her."

"But—" Ilia protested, but Link was almost walking away too fast to hear it.

"Sorry!" Link exclaimed, interrupting her. "My littler sister awaits." Littler? Before I even had the time to blink, Link pulled me up the stairs two at a time causing me to yell and protest profoundly. He gave me no thought as we went, however, so I soon found myself keeping my mouth shut as we left Ilia to her time with Ruto – thankfully without us in the mix. Maybe the Goddesses are being somewhat generous today, I couldn't help but think darkly as we travelled.

Link threw on his coat and dashed outside, tugging me along without even a moment of doubt. I pulled myself out of his grasp and struggled to put mine on as well as stick my feet into my boots – however, I soon managed to do so before following after him. I limped my way through the parking lot, my feet nearly falling out of my boots and my jacket nearly touching the slushy ground. I cursed under my breath and continued to struggle until I reached Link.

He stood by the car and fiddled with his hands, searching for his keys. I chose that moment to zip up my boots and my jacket. Link unlocked the door and jumped in, passing me a look that clearly said: "Get in before I pull you in myself!". I dashed in and shut the door, watching as Link locked the doors and slammed the key into the ignition.

Without even buckling up his seatbelt, he hit the gas hard – sending the car screeching into a start and up to a speed much faster than it should have been all ready. I suppressed a scream and held onto the car handle for dear life, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. "Link… slow down!" I cried, snapping my eyes open – watching him zoom in and out of traffic. "Or at least put on your seatbelt!"

Link grumbled under his breath, though I couldn't hear what he said, and reached for his seatbelt. He eased the gas and started to drive at regular speed. I sighed in relief and glanced behind us, watching as the bowling alley became smaller and smaller; the bright lights barely visible as we travelled further and further down the street.

As soon as we got to the next stoplight, Link finally allowed himself to speak his mind – even if it wasn't the best place to be doing it. "Damn that Ilia!" Link cursed, whacking his hand off of the steering wheel. Surprised, I slowly reached out for his shoulder in concern.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, almost so quietly that even I couldn't hear myself. Link still heard me, and snapped his eyes over to me as if to say: "What do you think?!" He answered, nonetheless, only making me even more worried about him.

"No!" He shouted and slammed his hands onto the steering wheel again twice as hard. I jumped, frightened. He soon noticed my feelings on my face when he glanced towards me, sighing as his shoulders slumped forwards. "Sorry… I'm just a bit on edge." He confessed and laughed meekly. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's fine," I replied. "I understand."

"I acted really rude back there, and am acting really rude to you." He grumbled under his breath, although I could still hear him. "Ilia's presence shouldn't bother me as much as it does… but when she mentioned Ruto, I just sort of lost it." You don't say…

"Ruto? Who's she?" I asked curiously. Link shuddered and turned down another street. He put on his right blinker and pulled over towards the side of the street. I blinked, dumbfounded as Link then removed the key from the ignition along with his seatbelt. At least he isn't driving, or that would be even worse.

"Ruto… is the creepiest and scariest girls I have ever met." He stated. My jaw dropped, yet only increasing my curiosity. Link continued, holding his hands behind his head. "At first, she was nice. She would talk to me during classes and sometimes outside of class. I thought nothing bad of it. Well, who would? Until…" He sighed. "Until she started following me."

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, a deep shiver coursing down my spine as my mind leapt to conclusions. Without hesitation, I asked: "Following you? Like… stalking?"

Link nodded reluctantly, his eyes lost in a trance. "She would watch me eat lunch with my friends. It would have been a little more comfortable it if was them all, but it was just her… she literally just stared! She would sit on the other side of the café and just stare with those… fishy eyes." He shook his head, muttering under his breath again something that I couldn't quite catch.

And, as much as I shouldn't have, I had to stifle a laugh. Link having a stalker. The thought in itself wasn't too hard to imagine. He was nice and considerate, not to mention attractive. I can imagine girls would flock to him. Stalking seems a bit… intense – but it could happen, I suppose.

After a few moments of silence, other than the city sounds coming alive around us, Link turned to me; holding his hand on my seat by my shoulder. "Zelda, I don't know if you believe me or not, but Ruto is seriously creepy. If you ever meet her, just run in the opposite direction. I'm serious." A bemused smile formed itself across my face as a thought entered my mind.

"Link, what about your little sister?" I wondered with a soft smile. "Don't you have to go and meet with her?" Link chuckled, grinning, but I found my smile fading and moving into a deep frown of confusion. "Hey, what's so funny?" His grin didn't cease, it only grew.

"That was an excuse, Zelda." He explained, laughing louder as he pulled away from my seat. I raised my eyebrow up at him, but he was laughing too much to care. My lips twitched at the sound of his laugher, though I tried to stay how I was before.

"So… you were lying?"

"That's right." He looked much happier now, much calmer and composed than before – which only made me more relaxed. It was nice to see Link looking better now. Who would have imagined that two girls could cause him such grief? He sighed again, quelling his laugher. "Zelda, is there anywhere you want to go?"

"Hmm?" I looked up at him, dazed for a moment. "What do you mean?"

He gestured towards the car's clock. So far, it was only a little past eight. I furrowed my brows together and thought it over. If Link and I went somewhere, it would need to end no later than nine thirty. That way, I could make it home before mother; and it would all be good.

"Is there any other place you would like to go?" He inquired again, shaking me away from my thoughts. I pursed my lips together.

"Could we get something to eat? I'm still a little hungry." Not even a second after I finished, my stomach then grumbled loudly; causing a horrible stain of red formed across my cheeks. I hissed and stared towards the ground while Link laughed, shaking my head at his laugh.

"Any place in specific?"

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and shooting him a look. "Somewhere food is sold?" I offer.

He rolled his eyes back at me, playfully pushing me. "How does a sandwich sound?"

My eyes widened. "You can have whatever you like put into it. Maybe even order some nice hot soup…" That offer sounded too good to ignore, fuelling my body into action. I reached for his keys, my mind only thinking about his offer and how good it sounded. Link, however, merely watched me in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

I shoved the keys into the ignition and started the car. "Buckle up your seatbelt." I ordered, pointing to the cross-road ahead of us in an authoritative tone. "Then drive to that restaurant." He stifled a laugh and buckled up, giving me a salute in response to my authoritative orders being thrown at him. A genuine smile crept up onto my face.

"You're very demanding when you're hungry. Did you know that?" He teased me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Of course." I responded playfully, resting back into my own seat as he did the same in his. For a while, I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He smiled and exhaled a light breath at my reply. He looked even better. "Perfect…" I whispered, sighing.

"Zelda? Is there something wrong?"

I snapped away from my thoughts with wide eyes, realising that Link was looking at me with a crooked grin. "Oh, me? N-No, nothing at all." I replied. I held back a grin as I gestured towards the steering wheel with a wink. "Just drive, boy."

His eyebrows shot upwards, nearly touching his hairline. That was when the laughter started. I, too, joined in – finding myself pulled in by the sound of his rich and joyful hilarity. It was just too contagious to avoid. Link wiped his eyes, placed a foot on the break, and reached for the gearshift. "Let's be off then." He announced and headed back onto the road.

* * *

><p>The following morning I walked through the crowded school hallways, heading for my locker. Memories of last night resurfaced inside and I could not stop my smiling. After Link had pulled into another parking lot, he had led me inside to a quaint café. The café had dim lighting and the comfiest of chairs.<p>

A sweet girl by the name of Malon, I believe, was our waitress and was quite nice. She informed me that her father, Talon, ran the vendors unit back in the park as a side job during winter. Originally, he spent his time working back on his farm in northern Hyrule, but he loved to open up his stand and sell hot beverages during the harsh winters here.

It was somewhat odd, but then again, people had weirder habits or hobbies. Take for my mother for instance, she has a bad habit of trying to be perfect. It is probably one of the worst habits to have. In some ways, it is good though. It forces you to try your hardest at everything and aim for the gold. However, in other ways, it is quite demanding, time consuming, tiring and sometimes just not worth it whatsoever.

More so, I found myself questioning mother, wondering when and where this habit of hers had developed. From what I remember, she's been this way for as long as I've been around. Maybe she has always been like that, or maybe she started it once I was born. It's one of those questions I know she would never answer, but would always linger in my mind. Even if it's pushed off into a corner, slowly forming cobwebs, it'll still be around.

I sighed and fiddled with my padlock. I should not be thinking about this. It was never good to be thinking about that – I knew that from experience. Focusing on the task at hand, I opened my locker and grabbed my lunchbox. Right after my fingers brushed the bag's slippery material, I felt a sudden chill. It was brief, yet strong.

My eyebrows shot up and I turned around. It was then that I noticed a few people were watching me. Most of them were girls and had their cell phones opened. Question marks hovered above my head and I blinked in confusion. "Is there something wrong?" I asked. Most of the girls shook their heads and scattered. A few remained and pretended to look away.

I narrowed my eyes as I reaching for my lunchbox – gripping it tightly and shut the locker with the padlock. Then I sauntered towards the doors. I had just reached the doors when someone called my name. I turned around and saw the girls from yesterday that were sitting not too far away from me at lunch, waving and smiling like we were old friends. My mouth opened, but I shut it just as quickly.

"Zelda!" One of them greeted me and extended her arms forward. "Might we join you for lunch?" The other two girls nodded. For a minute, all I could do was stare. I studied each girl slowly and observed their features. To me, they all looked the same: plucked, tucked and curled to perfection. They looked like clones in a way. What with how their hair was similarly styled, to the way their shoes were polished.

Normally I detested these sorts of girls and wanted nothing to do with them, but this time it was different. This time I didn't back away and leave. Instead, I agreed. My mind was too crammed with random thoughts, most of them confused over the situation, but I decided to shove them away and do what my brain was telling me not to do.

"Sure."

Though, if only I knew what I had gotten myself into…

I sat underneath "their" usual tree and watched each girl withdraw their lunch. I fiddled with my fingers and looked down towards the grass. Not wasting another second, I pulled out my sandwich. "So Zelda…" One commented. "We should really spend more time together, huh?"

"Hmm?" I looked up from my daze of plucking the grass from the dirt beneath me. Tiffany, the leader of group, smiled cosmetically towards me; her face barely moving as she repeated what she said. As much as I wanted to ignore her, I pulled my sandwich out of its plastic container and shrugged; not very interested at that minute. "I suppose."

"You're quite smart, Zelda. I'm sure we could learn a lot from you." Another one of the girls voiced. I froze for a second and glanced towards her, realising that she wasn't Tiffany – even if they sounded the same. She offered me the exact same smile that Tiffany had just seconds ago; a smile that was overly decorated and forced, unnatural and… almost crazy.

"I'm not sure." I gripped the container tightly, starting to feel a little more uncomfortable than I did before. Just what did these girls want from me? Before they would have ignored me, and I would have done the exact same to them, but now they were treating me like royalty. What the heck?

"Anyway, to get down to business!" Tiffany clapped her hands together, suddenly pulling the conversation back to her – irritating me slightly. "We have something that we have just been dying to ask you. It has, like, been plaguing our minds since yesterday."

I grimaced at her choice of wording, but nodded nonetheless. "Go on." I urged her, putting my lunch back into my bag; losing my appetite. "What is it?"

They all shared a glance, giggling almost nervously. In unison, they all chorused: "Did you really… go out with the Link Gaiden last night?" Had I been drinking any liquid, I would have spat it out, drenching the three. And honestly, I wish that I had; because I do not want to look at their fake faces right now.

"W-What?" I stuttered, my face turning a shade of red that was almost abnormal. "W-Why are you asking this?"

Tiffany shrugged her shoulders, making me snap my gaze back over to her. She smiled a little as she locked eyes with me, saying three words that I did not expect her to say. "Ilia told us." She said simply. How the Hell did she tell them? My eyes narrowed.

"And how, by chance, do you know Ilia Ordona?"

Tiffany smiled even more as she shrugged, seeing how annoyed and surprised I was at the sudden piece of news. "She's my cousin."

Great… just great… just what I needed. I resisted the urge to slap my forehead hard, just enough so I could knock myself out and get out of here – or, better yet, completely wipe the memories. Instead, I coughed to try and mask my full surprise. "She's your cousin?" I repeated a moment later, my tongue filled with hesitation at what to say next. "I, um, had no clue."

"We're not that close." Tiffany clarified flatly, clasping her hands together before she soon added: "But in times of crisis, we're there for each other like proper gals!" Times of crisis, I thought to myself. Are you saying that this is a crisis? I suppressed a snort. How superficial can these girls get? Inwardly, I rolled my eyes.

"Zelda, just tell me: did you go on a date with him?" Tiffany questioned, inching closer and closer towards me. My eyebrows shot up, and I made sure that I didn't avoid her cold gaze and give her the wrong impression. What was the big deal? She's making this seem like an interrogation where I committed some sort of terrible crime. Wanting this moment to end, I simply offered the girl the truth.

"No, we did not go out on a date."

I had no clue at what Link thought last night was. But to me, right now, it did not seem like a date whatsoever. Tiffany released a sigh of relief, surprising me. "Thank goodness." She wiped her brow, her two followers also looked relieved. Now I really was confused. What was the big deal? I couldn't help myself at this point. Letting my shoulders slump forwards, I couldn't help but confess how lost I was in this conversation.

"I'm lost." I confessed, making sure that they heard me. "Why is this good news?"

Tiffany's followers sighed deeply, as if I should know the answer. I pass them an even more confused look, but Tiffany's squeals certainly helped to explain the situation to me. "Because, Ilia is one step closer to having Link become her boyfriend!" Beads of sweat formed behind my head. I've had enough, I decided and got up from the ground.

Pleasantly, I excused myself and put my lunch away while I walked back towards the school. I could feel their eyes on me; watching me not just get inside, but also inch further and further away. Shivers ran down my spine. Those girls were too much. I stuck out my tongue and decided I would spend the remainder of lunch up in the library – hiding from them.

* * *

><p>Finally, school had ended for the day. Anxiously, I navigated my way through the hallways and towards the exit; begging to get away from these girly conversations and all. Still, quite a few girls were watching (like Ruto watching) and that merely fuelled my energy to propel me towards the exit. Throughout the remainder of lunch and classes, I had been bombarded by the same questions: "Are you dating Link?" "Is he sweet when you date?" "What's it like to be with him?" There were so many questions and too many interested females. It infuriated me. I felt like screaming and ripping out my hair.<p>

"Link doesn't even attend this school and they all know about him." I hissed, walking down the sidewalk. Since I had no car of my own, and mother preferred that I did not take public transit, I had to walk home; alone, I must add. I never minded it much, though. Walking allowed me to think and give me the space I needed from others.

And believe me, I really needed that right now.

"Oh Nayru! Aren't all of those pompous, chauvinistic, spoiled females rude and demanding all over the shop today." I heard a voice in the distance, but soon chose to ignore it – pushing my bag further up onto my shoulder and holding my head further down towards the floor. From the same location, however, I still managed to hear another person laughing as well before adding in their own insight to the previous person's thoughts on "pompous, chauvinistic, spoiled females".

"That's one way of calling them I've never heard before."

"Huh?" I soon found myself turning around, realising just how close they were to me. Next to me was a sleek black vehicle. I narrowed my eyes, only to soften when I saw the people inside. In the passenger seat was a boy who looked to be my age. His eyes were a surprisingly rare shade of red and his skin tone was quite dark, very tan-like. He had golden coloured hair tied back into a long braid and wore a tight fitted navy shirt.

"Charmed." He grinned and winked my way. I stared, dumbfounded. The driver of the convertible did not look too pleased, either. That explained why she, I believe, then leaned over and smacked him hard on the head. He cried out in pain and clutched his throbbing skull. I swear I saw a bump forming already. I suppressed a whistle.

"Idiot, more like." She hissed, allowing for me to then get a good look at her. She, too, had long hair and exotic eyes. Her skin tone was dark and reminded me a bit of an olive. Her eyes were a striking shade of amber and her hair colouring was a unique mixture of bright orange and auburn. It was nice and wild, which suited her perfectly. "Ignore the moron up front here." She explained and rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have many brain cells."

"Ah." I nodded, unsure of what else to say.

Hoping that the conversation was now over (not even knowing that it has begun in the first place), I nodded to them and continued on my way home. The woman's voice, however, carried on as if I hadn't even moved. "My name is Nabooru, and this knucklehead is Sheik."

I twisted back around to them. "I'm Zelda."

"We know that." Sheik chuckled, making me feel a lot more uncomfortable. I stepped back and clutched my bag strap tightly; feeling myself ready to bolt at any given chance possible. "In fact, I think that quite a few people know that by now…" I automatically felt my face paling, and an icy feeling of dread began slowly settling in the bottom of my stomach as I forced myself to step back towards them; concerned on how they know my name.

"You don't mean—"

Sheik stuck his head more out of the car, the sunbeams shining brightly against his already bright hair. "That's right. Lots of girls and guys know about you at our school too." He said, interrupting me. My brows furrowed together. I stomped a foot in protest. Just great… great, great, great! I hissed sarcastically in my mind. It's just what I've always wanted! What is Link going to think?!

Sheik bellowed loudly at the angry look on my face, leaning back into the seat from his fit of laughter. Nabooru rolled her eyes. "Since we're all acquainted with each other now, that'll make this next part easier." She unlocked the doors, snapping my thoughts into silence as I realised how much her eyes had darkened in the short space of time. "Zelda, we need to have a little chat." She almost hissed the final part, and even Sheik had stopped laughing when he realised this as well.

"Huh?" The right strap of my bag slipped off my shoulder, so I busied myself in pushing it back onto my shoulder; my fingers fumbling to grasp the strap properly, and I wasn't doing that just to add more time onto the clock.

Nabooru smiled, revealing her perfectly straight teeth. "You heard me. Get. In." She unbuckled her seatbelt, her voice deepening even more. "If you're not in backseat by the time I count to three, I'll toss you in there myself." She reached for the door handle. "One… Two…"

I scrambled towards the back and threw myself in, not caring about my bag strap any longer, shutting the door behind me. I landed on my stomach and felt my eyes swirling. I groaned loudly. Off in the front, I could hear Sheik's laughter and Nabooru chastising him; telling him to be quiet. However, I couldn't find myself smiling at their behaviour towards each other – as this current moment in time was taking up too many of my frantic thoughts.

I merely stayed down, still feeling the effects of belly flopping inside the unknown car. "Let's be off then!" Nabooru cried and stepped on the gas. Through my daze of clouded thoughts, I felt myself shaken back into reality at her words – and the sudden jerking forwards of the car – so I bolted upright with a shriek, my face draining of all colours at the day's events caught up with me and linked together – literally linked together around Link.

"What!" And yet I could say nothing more, since Nabooru was already making her way down the street; and I was left to my swirling thoughts as I could only think about Link; and what he was going through along with myself.


	7. Edited: Multiple Revelations

**Chapter Six:** Multiple Revelations

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it and I simply adore the little tidbits you added to make this chapter shine.

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" I shouted, my voice shaking with both irritation and concern. We hadn't even been driving for ten minutes before I had began asking what in the name of Farore was going on. Well, I was asking ever since we actually started driving, but it was only on my millionth attempt that I actually received an answer. Nabooru gripped the steering wheel and turned it rather quickly, forcing another screech as I slid all the way down to the right side of the car. My body collided against the door and hurt like Hell. I hissed with pain, which Nabooru picked up on.<p>

"Zelda, buckle up." Sheik instructed, watching from behind the front passenger seat. I glanced up and saw his eyes twinkling, dancing with mirth. He was enjoying this too much, and it was starting to get to me. I couldn't let them get on my nerves, though, I just had to find out what was going on so I could leave faster – and get on with my anti-social life... joy.

I growled and pushed myself up onto the nearest seat. The car jumped and bumped, going over many cracks and various potholes. I found myself struggling to stay still in the seat and buckle myself up. Upon hearing the click of the buckle, I sighed, feeling a little bit safer – and only then did Nabooru actually acknowledge the fact that I was holding onto her seat for dear life.

"You okay back there?" Nabooru glanced towards the top mirror, watching me. I sighed deeply, but plastered a smile onto my face as I performed a mock salute, something that I could see Link doing. How much of my life would go by without thinking of that boy?

"Perfect."

She rolled her eyes, though I could see the gloss over her lips curving upwards into a smirk. "You sure aren't what I was expecting." She replied and made another sharp turn. I held onto the edges of the seat, my nails digging into the leather seating. By the time I managed to pull myself back up, I held a more irritated look in my complexion over a confused one. With a raised eyebrow, I stuck my head around the seat to see her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Before Nabooru could answer, Sheik spoke up with an answer that I should have been expecting a mile off.

"It means that you're not a self absorbed, fake doll!" Sheik laughed, answering my question. Well, I thought that it would answer my question, but my mind was way too foggy to actually help this situation make any sense. I voiced this with a simple: "Huh?", and Sheik placed a hand on my shoulder; barely holding back his chuckles as bits of hair fell behind his ears. "Zelda, it's supposed to be a complement..."

A vein formed above my head, something which annoyed me even more due to how embarrassing it was. I subconsciously pushed some of my fringe over to where it formed, though Sheik noticed this and laughed even more at the sight of it. "Well, how was I supposed to know?" I growled, my tongue clearly laced with annoyance. I then leaned further back into the seat in defeat. "It's been a long day..." I groaned, feeling a headache about to form already.

"Same here." Nabooru chorused, her red and gold nails curling tightly around the steering wheel. Her anger that she was trying to hold back reminded me a little of how Link was when we escaped from dealing with both Ilia and the stalker girl Ruto. My face softened a little at the thought of this, but my mind-set was soon reversed when Nabooru suddenly queried: "What's your story?"

My lips parted in shock. "M-My story?" Sheik rolled his eyes and glanced back at me for a moment, only to be cut off when the lights ahead changed to red – and he grabbed Nabooru's arm to stop her, even if her got a slap to his own arm in return. I smiled slightly, but I shook my head when he looked back at me as he rubbed his sore arm.

"What made you say it was a long day?" He clarified.

I nodded in understanding. Suppressing yet another groan, I quickly explained, summarizing to both Nabooru and Sheik what had happened throughout all of school. As I tried to explain all of the Hell that I had been through in such a short space of time, I couldn't help but realise the fact that I was basically explaining my life story to strangers. By the time I had gotten to the end, however, Nabooru whistled, coming to another set of lights. "You've had your fair share of shit, too, haven't you?"

That comment confused me, and I couldn't help but voice this as I leaned back around the fancy car seat (which, compared to Link's car seats were worth thousands). "Does that mean… you've had to deal with a lot of stuff today too?" Sheik let out a loud laugh, which soon quelled into nothing but a whimper when Nabboru gave him a glare of death that I have only seen a few times in my life.

"That's an understatement at best." Sheik replied sheepishly. "Ever since walking into school this morning, we've had to put up with girls asking us stuff about you." My lips parted even more, but I soon pushed them back together when I realised what I had done in an attempt to maintain and calm and collected aura. However, my eyebrows still rose.

"Stuff about me?" I repeated and pointed towards myself in disbelief. Both Nabooru and Sheik nodded at me, only Nabooru wasn't nodding for long as a large truck wailed past – barely missing the car that we are driving in. Nabooru hisses a stream of swear words, but she soon reverted back to her less irritated self; well, as much as she could.

"That's right." Nabooru nodded in agreement. "Apparently, people thought we knew you or something." When I wondered why they would as that, Sheik and Nabooru shared a glance. Nabooru then turned off onto a side street and pulled over, much like Link had the other night. I waited until she turned off the car and unbuckled her seatbelt before repeating what I had asked. She turned around and studied me, making me gulp and sit up straight. Her eyes darkened and she smirked. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

I grimaced and avoided her eyes. "Got that."

She exhaled and shook her head. The faintest of smiles lit up her face. I chuckled under my breath. "Zelda, to be brief, people are saying things."

"Bad things?"

I cringed at the thought, all of the possible worse case scenraios whirling through my mind at such a fast pace that I felt that headache come on again. Sheik, as usual, burst out laughing. "Not if Link being your boyfriend is a bad thing."

Nabooru hollered loudly and reached for his nearest ear. Sheik screamed, making me jump out of my seat and strain against the seatbelt strapped tightly across my body, his eyes watering as he begged Nabooru to let go. "Only if you promise to be quiet!" She insisted, more so hissed to him. Sheik waved his arms, promising that he would. "Good." Nabooru released her hold causing Sheik to fall back into the seat.

The seatbelt also didn't help much and merely pulled him back even more. He tried to move forward but found himself pulled back. "Aw, damn, it's stuck!" He shouted, flailing his arms once again.

"Perfect! That'll keep you preoccupied for a while." Nabooru said hotly and crossed her arms victoriously. Sheik raised a balled fist and swore this would not be the end. I merely watched the scene unravelling before me, unable to say anything. "Zelda, I've got a few things to ask you." Nabooru directed her attention towards me, making me eye her with concern, fully blocking out Sheik's shouts and protests. She raised her hands up in defence. "I've already made it clear. I will not hurt you. Sheik and I are not bad. Well, Sheik's a bit… dense, but he's an okay guy."

Even while he was preoccupied, he still managed to snap his head up in protest. "Hey!" My eyes softened.

"Go on."

She raised her hand, her fingers rising up one by one. "Firstly, I would like to know how you and Link met. Two, why and how did you end up spending last night with him. I don't whether or not to call it a date since I've heard way too many different approaches of the evening. I will just stick to calling it an... "outing". Fine with that?" I nodded after a few moments, making her smirk. "Thirdly, how do you know that annoying Ilia Ordona? Fourthly – what am I forgetting? – Oh, yeah!" She snapped her fingers in delight. "Do you have Link's cell phone number? Meaning... did he give it to you?"

I smoothed out my kilt and adjusted my collar, feeling uncomfortable about a lot of the questions she asked me – especially the ones about how Link and I met, and mostly the one about his cell number. I suppose I had to face the facts sooner or later, and of course being forced to answer them by strangers was clearly the best was to do it. Still, at least Nabooru called Ilia annoying; so that certainly helps with my current trust issues with the two of them. After a while, I carefully unbuckled the seatbelt – remembering Sheik's problems with it before – and sat up properly.

"How much time do you have?" I asked with a sigh. She blinked, dumbfounded.

"What are you getting at?"

I leaned back into the seat. "I'm not getting at anything. I am merely asking how much time you have on your hands so that I may be able to answer your questions." Nabooru merely shrugged, indicating that she had enough time on her hands to hear me out; so I began. I explained how Link and I met, both how and why we ended up spending the night together, how I knew "that annoying Ilia Ordona", and all of that about Link's cell number.

With a click of my tongue, I slumped back into the car seat in defeat. Nabooru, who had sat there for the entire thing without saying a word, sat still for a minute in an attempt to absorb it all. Sheik, who had made comments throughout the entire thing (much to Nabooru's disgust), merely stared at me with his brows furrowed together.

"So what you're saying is... that Link helped you out a few nights ago?" She clarified slowly, her mind still confused about my explanation. I nod at her with a shrug as I look out of the window, watching as the street comes to life as it had done when Link was talking about Ruto – though the sky is a clear and bright blue overhead.

"I was down in the dumps, and he made me feel better." Her eyes softened.

"He's pretty good at that, huh? Making people feel better and all."

"Yes. He is." I murmured, feeling my face turn a brighter shade of red. Memories of that night resurfaced, playing inside my mind like a film. I could remember everything vividly, even what every sense felt at every point. It was cold that night and Link and I sat on a frozen bench with Trouble lying by our feet. The hot chocolate was excessively warm and burnt my tongue every time I sipped it, but I didn't care; as the company I had was worth any burnt tongues. Still, though, it was a wonderful night and a memory that I will cherish dearly for quite some time.

I shut my eyes and sighed, only for them to open again when the conversation turned back to both Sheik and Nabooru. Sheik chuckled, catching my attention. We locked eyes and stared to each other, but his lips moved into an amused smirk as his lip quivered to stifle a laugh. "So Zelda... are you hooked now?" He asked, raising his brows up and down.

My mouth fell fully open, making a sound that was a mix of a growl and a confused sound. Nabooru threw her arms up into the air, barely missing the handbrake beneath her. "Oh, for Goddesses sake!" She exclaimed as she elbowed him in the gut. "I thought you said that you would be quiet!" Sheik merely grinned, revealing a set of straight white teeth as he made his return.

"I promised to be quiet back then, not now!"

Nabooru rolled her eyes, attempting to hit him again – though he managed to dodge. "Moron."

I held back a chuckle. Really, these two were too much… but in a good way, I suppose. Sheik clapped his hands together, making me jump even more than before due to how loud it was. "Zelda... wait, can I call you "Zel" instead? It's much better than plain old Zelda – no offence intended."

"None taken." I said dryly, as almost everyone who was trying too hard on me used that nickname.

Nabooru's laughter resonated throughout the vehicle, startling us both. We cast her similar glances – a mixture of perplexity and surprise – although she merely shrugged her shoulders. "Aren't I entitled to laugh?" This was her only reply, and made both Sheik and I roll our eyes; though I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut, not like him.

"Women..."

Nabooru leaned over and smacked him on the forehead. By now, I had grown accustomed to their antics and only waited for it to pass. While Sheik was leaning against the back of his chair, his eyes swirling, Nabooru asked for my phone.

"Why?" I asked, pulling back. She merely snorted at me and took to swipe for my bag. "Hey!" She waved me off and searched through my bag, plucking out my cell with twinkling eyes; her "companion" still barely hanging onto consciousness.

"Calm down, "Zel"." Her smile grew as she searched through my phone when I growled in annoyance over the nickname. "I want your number, silly." She winked, though she handed me hers as well; and it clicked for me. It was a modern and shiny one. For a minute, I just stared, completely mesmerized. Thankfully, though, I snapped out of my daze and quickly added in my number and name.

When finished, we exchanged phones. She slid hers back into her pocket, and I put mine back into my bag when it was given back to me as quickly as Nabooru took it. "It's getting late." I said, noticing on my phone as I put it away that it was almost past four. Mother would be home a little after five, so I needed to get home before she did at any cost. "I have to be home soon."

Nabooru pursed her lips together, as if she was actually enjoying out time together – which I guess was understandable, as I sort of was. "No problem. What's your address?"

"551 Oracle Boulevard." (1) Nabooru whistled and buckled herself up as Sheik finally started to come around.

"Fan-cy." She winked at me as she placed her hand on the handbrake. I laughed and nodded. I suppose that was right. Oracle Boulevard's known throughout the entire region as being the "supposed place to live". It has the modern and attractive homes young couples are interested in purchasing and is a very family orientated neighbourhood. It's quite safe, supposedly, and has quite a few parks and community centres within the tight knit area.

Nabooru started the car and backed up, holding the back of Sheik's seat so she could look out of the back window to get back onto the street properly. I ducked as she did so, even if she had more than enough room, which she noticed and smiled at. She backed up much faster than usual, which scared me at first, but I held myself together. "Let's get you home." she said and started to drive.

"Sounds like a plan." I replied quietly as I leaned back down in my seat to stop the straining I held on my seatbelt. During the trip back, I scanned through the contact list and smiled to myself as the world blurred by. No longer did I have three contacts, but rather four. Nabooru pulled up just across the street from my home, following what I had told her and some extra directions just in case. I leapt out of the car and clutched my bag tightly. "Thank you for the ride."

"Its no problem." She chuckled, making me genuinely smile. "And Zelda, in exchange for a free lift, can you promise me something?" I nodded and shrugged. "Don't tell Link about our little meeting, okay?" She said seriously. "I don't want him to know that we checked in on you like we did. It might piss him off or just cause a scene. Whatever the case may be, it would be best for him to not know."

I thought it over for a minute, and then nodded; breathing out a laugh at the "it might piss him off" part. "I promise I won't tell." I held up my pinkie finger with a childish smile, remembering all of the pinkie swears that I had made over the years with my friends. "I promise." Nabooru's eyes grew, chuckling richly once again when she saw what I had meant.

"Pinkie swear?" She rubbed the back of her head with a shrug. "I haven't done one of these in ages." She leaned over and wrapped hers around mine, flashing her pearly white teeth at me. "Pinkie promise." she winked and stuck out her tongue. I blushed and backed away. "You know what, Zelda. You're not that bad." She confessed. "You're not what I was expecting you to be... and I'm pretty happy about that."

"What were you expecting?" I asked curiously, no longer feeling offended by her random comments now and again.

She shrugged her shoulders. "A dumb and superficial doll that only cares about makeup and shoes." Beads of sweat formed behind my head, reminding me deeply of who I had spent lunch with that very same day. "But you proved me wrong. So... congrats!" I couldn't tell whether or not that was something to be proud of or ashamed by. In Nabooru's opinion, it looked good, so I just decided to accept it as a complement. "We should definitely meet up sometime. Are you free this coming weekend?" She asked.

"I, um, have dance classes early Saturday morning until twelve. Afterwards, I'm free." Usually after dance classes, mother would drive me back home and then head back to the University. She would bury herself in her work and start planning for the upcoming week, so I had that time to myself in a way – and my mind was begging that wherever Nabooru and Sheik were, Link would be with them as well.

"Perfect. So, we'll do something then. I'll text you the details." My eyebrows rose, and I barely stuttered out an "Sure" and offered her a meek thumbs up, realising how much I had thought about Link just. She stifled a round of laughter, leaning over to ruffle my hair and pat my head lightly – not as bad as she would with Sheik. "You're so cute." I pouted, an annoyed expression forming across my face. "See you Saturday, "Zel"." She said and slowly backed away.

"Hey, what about me?" Shouted Sheik as Nabooru began to back away from the side of the street. "I haven't gotten to say anything to Zel!"

"You're too late!" Nabooru shouted back as they pulled out even further. "We're going now. So shout anything you want her to hear before we're gone."

"Zel!" Sheik leaned over, not noticing the look of rage Nabooru had forming across her face. "I'll have Nabooru give you my number. I want to keep in touch! Promise me that you'll reply once you have my number, okay?" His smile was so wide and goofy; I could not help but snort at his face, and how he held his pinkie up to me. "Pinkie promise!" He asked, his tongue laced with hope.

By now, Nabooru was quickly driving down the street to end the conversation – so I had to yell for Sheik to hear me. "Pinkie promise!" I waved my hand up into the air. Sheik mirrored my actions, quickly disappearing down the street. I stood where I was, watching them until I could no longer see the car.

I sighed deeply. Maybe that didn't go as bad as I thought it would...

* * *

><p>Time ticked by. The days passed and my routine was pretty much the same. I woke up early, did some studying, put on my uniform and went downstairs to prepare breakfast. My mother would already be awake and we would spend the mornings eating in silence – her with her hot cup of coffee and papers, and me with my eggs and toast. Afterwards, I would clean up my dishes and get ready to head off for school. I would spend my days learning and return home to keep studying.<p>

It was usually an endless cycle of repetition and occasional boredom.

Yet these passing days were different. While studying, I found myself texting either Nabooru, Sheik, or sometimes even Link; my mind buzzing at the final contact. The texts would come randomly and they were always entertaining. Sheik always had something hilarious to say, Nabooru would come up with the oddest of statements, and Link's messages were always thoughtful and considerate. I didn't know whom's I preferred. They were all so different and wonderful in their own ways...

I found my days brighter because of these messages and the conversations I shared because of them. Bit by bit, I slowly learned more about Nabooru and Sheik. By the end of the next day, I felt as though I had known them for weeks on end rather than two days; and felt as if they were like my family, in a way, which was always a nice feeling to have. I had hoped that the feeling was mutual, but I knew better than to keep my hopes too high.

'Zel, so we'll meet across the street from your house at 1:00 p.m.?'

It was Nabooru's newest text message. I lay on my bed, staring up towards the ceiling. My lips curved up into a small smile which only grew as I read her message. My heart warmed at what the conversation was all about, so my fingers moved quickly to form a response as my small smile grew into a large grin.

'That's what we agreed on. I can't wait :)'

I ended the message with a smiley face and sent it off. The moments waiting for a reply were excruciatingly long, but worth it. When the phone vibrated and a little envelope appeared on the screen, I giggled and pressed the middle button.

'See you then. We'll have loads of fun. I promise.'

"Zelda, are you ready?" Mother shouted from downstairs before I could even turn my phone off again.

"Yes!" I cried and jumped up from the bed. Reaching for my duffel bag, I checked to make sure that everything I needed for class was inside; checking everything off from my mental checklist. I stuffed the phone into the front compartment and struggled to put on my sweat pants and sweater. It had snowed last night, meaning it was cold outside. I could not walk outside with just a jacket and skirt on like I normally did for dance class (2).

Checking to make sure that my hair was perfect in the mirror, I slipped on my warmest as well as my driest boots possible and raced downstairs. As usual, mother stood by the doorway – her coat and boots on – ready to go. "Just one moment." I said and opened up the front hall closet. I slid on my warmest jacket and gloves and turned around, smiling. "I am all ready now."

"Be sure to apologize to your teacher." She warned me with a cool look, opening up the door before I could respond. "Remember your last lesson, the one where you made a complete and utter fool of yourself?" The memories from that incident resurfaced, and I felt a bubbling sensation form inside the pit of my stomach. Almost instantaneously – like a brown paper bag popped – my smile faltered, turning into a frown. "Zelda, I made myself clear then. I do not want the same outcome as last class to occur this time. Do I make myself clear?"

My eyes watered, feeling her eyes staring me down as I slipped in front of her. "I-I understand." I murmured, my voice cracking. Mother simply smiled snidely and ushered for me to move faster towards the car. However, I stopped when I saw that she was locking the door and headed towards the car; so I waited until she was in front of me before moving again. Timidly I followed, moving slower… and sadder.

* * *

><p>I stood before the full-length mirror in the studio dressing room and studied myself. My skin pale and eyes dead, I looked nervous. I attempted to smoothed out of my hair to lighten up the appearance, but it did nothing to ease the sight before me in the glass. "Zelda, is there anything wrong?" I glanced up. Behind me, I saw Ilia's reflection. She smiled and waved, though I didn't need her presence right now. Nonetheless, I turned around to see her – still frowning.<p>

"Did something happen with you and Link?" She asked, suddenly interested. I felt myself gritting my teeth near automatically, not very surprised that she jumped to that conclusion straight away. I just looked away, however, which only made her more curious. Ilia was already getting on my nerves. "Come on, Zelda. You know you can trust me..."

I had to hold back the urge to fall on the floor from laughter as she moved up to the mirror behind me. Me trust Ilia. That was essentially the same as trusting the Dark Lord from Legends who once tried to take over Hyrule in the past: both idiotic and just plain foolish. I wanted so badly to make a snide remark and walk out with my nose held high. Instead, though, I crumbled – not having the energy to go through with my last thought – and just replied softly. "I don't feel like it. Thank you." And walked off.

I had still yet to apologize to my instructor. Mother looked up from her magazine and motioned for me to head inside the classroom, even if It was still too early. I sighed deeply and pushed open the door, walking cautiously inside. No one but my teacher was inside when I entered. I took a deep breath and shut the door behind me. Then I advanced my strides long and lenient and my head held high.

* * *

><p>Sitting by the front door with my coat and boots on, I stared towards the ground, deep in thought. Though dance class had gone well and I had managed to complete my pirouettes without falling, I still was not happy. Mother was indifferent throughout the entire class and the car ride home. It only bothered me slightly as opposed to usual, since this time, I had better things to worry over and be excited about.<p>

Like my scheduled afternoon with Nabooru.

Eagerly I glanced towards the hall clock, smiling at what I saw. "12:55pm". Only five minutes left! I could hardly contain myself. I impatiently tapped the ground with my boot, my leg trembling. "That's it. I can't sit in here any longer..." I grabbed my scarf and my bag and moved outside, locking the door behind me and sliding on my gloves. The cold air tickled my skin and sent chills down my spine, making my teeth chatter as I slowly walked down the steps.

"Zelda, over here!" Someone shouted. Snapping my head up to where the voice radiated from, I saw Nabooru waving from across the street. "Come on, let's get going!" I smiled warmly at her and began making my way over to her, making sure that there was no cars or trucks coming down the street. It may be quite a quiet place to live, but you never know.

"Coming," I shouted as I crossed. The ground was icy beneath my feet, and required that I watch my footing in order to avoid sliding and falling on my rear. Inch by inch, I made my way towards the car and crossed the street fully while Nabooru watched me, still smiling.

"Get in the back." She ordered playfully, only adding to me excitement. I mock saluted, just like I had done before, and climbed inside. With a bang, I shut the door and buckled myself up; remembering what had occurred last time I had been in this very car. However, I soon noticed that someone else was in the front passenger seat. Although I could only see the back of their head, but from what I could tell, they had a short green haircut.

"Hello there." A soft voice said. The head turned around to revela a young, attractive girl; bundled up like myself, though I could still her her warm smile. Her bright emerald eyes twinkled and the pristine white headband she sported made her look even nicer. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Saria." She leaned over and offered me a hand.

"Likewise… um, my name is Zelda." I shook her hand. She giggled and pulled away from me, feeling the strain of her seatbelt as I removed my extra garments.

"I've heard of you from Nabooru and Sheik. They really seem to like you."

I nodded and licked my lips, leaning back into the plush seat with a sigh – though I was grinning like a maniac. "I like them too." I said earnestly. My eyes then wandered towards Nabooru, who I noticed the way her ears perked up when I spoke about her; and she started to chuckle. I could hold back a laugh outwardly, but it was a different story in my mind – where I was giggling like a stereotypical girl.

"Zel, we've got quite the day planned. Is there a specific time you need to be home?" Nabooru asked as she pulled out from the street, smirking as she used the nickname that both her and Sheik had decided to use on me. Speaking of which, Sheik wasn't in the car that time; and I felt a pang on sadness course through my body at the thought of it. I wouldn't speak to him soon, though, I knew that.

"Seven." I replied firmly, recalling mother's cool look on her face before we left for dance class this morning. "I need to be home no later than seven."

Nabooru pouted and cursed, performing the latter again when the car ahead decided to break at the lights too early; startling her greatly. Saria giggled again, mainly at Nabooru's second stream of curses as the lights soon changed. Beads of sweat formed behind my head. Mother would never be like this on the road, so I didn't know whether to be surprised or scared – even if Nabooru wasn't nearly as bad as she was when I was in this car last

"That's sucks, but it's manageable." Nabooru decided and turned down the street. I leaned further back into the seat and sighed, removing more of my clothes that made me too warm in the car. I removed my gloves and undid a few buttons on my jacket.

"So Zelda." Saria turned to me as Nabooru drove, suggesting: tell me a little about yourself. You've been in contact with Nabooru for a few days already, so she knows quite a bit about you... but I know nothing." She pouted. "I want to know something. Anything."

I tugged at my jacket collar, feeling a little uncomfortable about her forwardness. "Like what?"

"Some hobbies, your favourite class, maybe a favourite book or poem or song you like. The limit is endless. All I want you to do is talk and tell me about yourself." I pursed my lips together, the conversation reminding me of the very familiar Ilia Ordona and how she would be so forward with myself. Still, I could see Saria as a person with a heart purer than Ilia's; so I had very little to worry about here.

"How about we take turns?" I suggested soon after I pulled myself away from my thoughts. "You tell me something about you, and then I tell you something about me. What do you say?" She shrugged her shoulders, but agreed nonetheless.

"It sounds like a plan. You go first though."

I groaned, but rolled my eyes and went with it as I leaned further into the seat. "Okay. My favourite subject at school is history."

"Mine is English." She replied with a soft smile. "I just love poems and stories about nature."

"I love the snow." I continued, thinking deeply about myself – something that I rarely did. "It's my favourite season."

"Mine too!" She laughed. We both exchanged glances, making Saria raise her eyebrows and me release a quiet chuckle. This wasn't all that bad, in my opinion. I glanced out the window, watching house after house pass by. It's almost fun… I like this.

"Zelda, it's your turn." Saria called, snapping my thoughts into silence as I blinked my eyes back over at her; raising a finger to my chin in thought.

"Oh, um, right. Let's see… I like…"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>(1) Made up the name, I do not know whether a street bearing that name actually exists.

(2) Zelda would already have her bodysuit and tights on before class started, so that's why she would just wear a jacket and skirt before leaving home for class.


	8. Edited: Afternoon Out

**Chapter Seven:** Afternoon Out

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it and I simply adore the little tidbits you added to make this chapter shine. :)

* * *

><p>A little over an hour had passed before Nabooru finally pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car. We all got out and stretched our stiff muscles, groaning in pain. "Just smell that fresh air." Saria murmured and took in a deep gulp of fresh air. Nabboru rolled her eyes at Saria and noticed my questioning look at Saria. She chuckled and leaned over to me, leaning in and whispering to me.<p>

"Saria is a nature freak..." She whispered to me. "She just loves the outdoors. She could literally live outside if she wanted to..."

I nodded, remembering how most of Saria's answers about herself had revolved around nature and animals. "Let's get going~!" Saria announced, partly singing the sentence, and began to walk forward. I glanced towards Nabooru, who merely shrugged her shoulders at me. Shaking my head, I followed them with a smile.

"Where are we even?" I asked after a while and glanced around us. All I could see was a few cars, and even then there was no more than six filled the parking lot – ours included. All around us were tall pines trees and an old wooden fence covered with snow. A dirt path barely covered by frost started by our foot and went further towards the right. Snow fell from the sky elegantly, making it feel even colder.

I shivered and zipped up my jacket and slipped my gloves back on. After a few moments, Nabooru supplied me with an answer I really should have expected. "We're going for a sleigh ride!" Nabooru explained and reached for my arm, leading me forward. "It's the perfect weather for one. Next week it'll be too cold..."

I raised a brow at her. "A sleigh ride?"

"Yeah, you know where you sit in a sleigh and a horse pulls the sleigh..." She explained dryly, passing me a sour look.

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully as we continued on, Saria singing an song I hadn't heard of before and completely ignoring us. A smile tugs at my lips, but I note that Nabooru is still looking at me funny; my shoulders slumped forwards. "I know what a sleigh ride is." I replied. "I'm just surprised that you wanted to go on one... that's all."

"Oh and why is that?" She asked playfully, her eyes sparkling.

I glanced down towards the ground, slightly embarrassed. "Because… because I thought you were the kind of girl that enjoys shopping and spending time at the mall." I looked away, feeling Nabooru's eyes on me. When I snapped my gaze back up at her, I saw her face contort at the thoughts I had given her. She scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"I'm not like that at all." She waved her hands in front of her. "Spending hours walking through the same place over and over again until you have it memorised, and wasting so much money on stuff I don't need to buy? Thanks, but no thanks." Silence picked up in the area, and neither of us spoke for a long time until Saria turned around, more so jumping around, with a smile on her face.

"Nabooru, Zelda, are you two coming?" She shouted from up ahead. "The next sleigh is almost about to leave and we haven't even bought our tickets yet!"

We both said that we were coming and picked up our paces so we were only a few paces behind her now. Saria was still walking way too fast, however, but I didn't really mind. Nabooru must have once again seen something in my eyes, because she glanced towards me and rolled her eyes once more. "She's really excited about this." She commented. "She's been looking forward to it all week."

I shrugged at her. "So have I." I replied as we walked forward, leaving fresh tracks in the snow. "I've been excited about today, too, since I was looking forward to spending time together."

Nabooru stopped walking. I turned around, curious as to why she stopped. "Is something wrong?" I asked and titled my head to the side. She shook her head.

"It's nothing." And she kept walking.

I watched her walk on, still confused. Did I say something wrong, I thought to myself, perplexed. Though I'm not used to spending time so much time with girls my age, I at least thought I had been getting along well with Nabooru. I mean weren't the constant text messages and occasional phones calls a good sign? I raised an eyebrow. Maybe it's just me, I thought, and frowned.

"Zelda, come on!" Saria shouted her voice impatient. "We're just waiting for you!"

I heaved a sigh. "I'm coming! Just give me one second."

* * *

><p>It turns out that after I made it to their waiting spot, Saria had already bought the tickets after all. She said they were just about to close and that she had to buy them then, if not, we couldn't go. Though the explanation seemed a bit… far-fetched, I overlooked it on account of how excited she looked. She eagerly clutched her ticket and rocked on the soles of her boots continually.<p>

Nabooru and I tried to pay her back for our tickets, but she always refused to take our money. Even when the sleigh arrived, she still refused. By the time we sat down, I knew all hope of paying for my ticket was long gone. I sighed and leaned further back into the seat at the thought of not being able to pay for myself.

Nabooru and Saria were on either side of me. We sat in the second row of the sleigh with an elderly woman and her two grandchildren in front, and a young couple behind us. The conductor of the sleigh ride was a kind old gentleman, who wore a spiffy red jacket and matching hat. He smiled to us when we climbed aboard, and said that there was an extra blanket inside the front compartment built into the seat in front of us if we ever got cold.

Saria sighed dreamily and reached inside her rather large coat pocket. I watched her withdraw a small pair of green binoculars. "Are you going to bird watch?" I asked her, interested. She turned around and stared to me through the binoculars. I laughed and shook my head. "I'm not just looking for birds, but any form of wildlife." she said and began to scour the area. "Zelda, when its winter it's like there's a whole new world out here in the woods. Everything is covered with snow and many animals change in order to adapt to the climate changes."

Nabooru groaned. "Saria, you sound like a textbook." She droned and slapped her forehead.

I smiled, bemused. Saria sighed and lowered her lenses. "Nabooru... we are not going to have this discussion here. That's final." She stuck out her tongue and went back to her searching. Nabooru clicked her tongue and reached inside her small black bag. She pulled out a nice looking digital camera.

"Saria, can you stop bird watching for a minute so that I can take a picture of you and Zelda?"

"That sounds nice." She smiled and placed the binoculars onto her lap. She leaned over and wrapped an arm around me. "Is this okay with you?" She inquired.

I nodded and hesitantly leaned my head against her shoulder. The scarf she wore tickled my face and caused me to hold back a sneeze. Saria merely smiled. "We're ready."

"It'll be a nice picture." Nabooru announced and pressed the button. A flash erupted, capturing both Saria and I. I blinked, seeing bright lights everywhere I looked.

"That's, um... quite bright." I murmured and sat up.

"They're always strong." Saria answered and went back to searching around the snowy terrain.

"Saria, I want you to take a picture of Zelda and me." Nabooru said, waving the camera in front of her face. Nabooru leaned over, squishing me in the process. I groaned and eyed Saria, hoping she would take the picture. Nabooru was way too heavy!

Saria lowered her binoculars and pouted. "Fine, but this is the last one. I want to continue watching, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Nabooru flicked her wrist and got into position. She wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close towards her. Feeling somewhat brave, I decided to mirror her actions and wrap an arm around her waist. She then leaned her head against mine and grinned widely at my actions. When I looked up and saw her smile, I could not stop myself from laughing. Saria then took the picture causing a bright flash to encase us both.

"There we are!" She handed Nabooru the camera. "And now, to continue watching for wildlife."

"And... we've lost her." Nabooru said a second later. Saria merely ignored her. "Let's have a look at these two pictures." She said. This caught my attention. I inched closer towards Nabooru and stared at the screen. A picture of Saria and myself lit up the screen. Saria looked positively radiant, smiling while staring at the camera. "Zel, you look great." Nabooru patted my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks..." Nabooru moved onto the next photo. It was of both of us. We each looked happy. My cheeks were slightly red from the cold and Nabooru's smile still looked quite comical. I stifled a laugh.

"You having fun?" Asked Nabooru as she put away the camera.

I nodded, looking around with a content smile. "It is really nice out here." She gave me a reprimanding look.

"Answer the question." She said seriously.

I chuckled and fiddled with my gloves. "The sleigh ride is really relaxing. I'll admit that."

She smiled. "Go on."

I blinked and thought to myself. "I also… managed to learn more about you and meet Saria. That's another nice part of the trip." I added on, smiling. It was always nice to meet new people and make friends. "Though I must admit, the first time I saw you, I was a bit scared." Nabooru arched an eyebrow.

"What scared you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Your little ambush the other day..." I replied simply.

Nabooru snorted. "That scared you?"

My jaw dropped. "Who wouldn't be scared if two strangers pulled up and told you to get into their car?" I shouted. Nabooru blinked, smirking. I backed away, noticing the faint twinkle of mirth that danced through each of her eyes. She was enjoying this. Beads of sweat formed behind my head.

"But look at the end result!" She exclaimed and extended her arms out. "You've made three new friends."

I guess that was a positive. But in other ways, it was still scary. No matter how many positives Nabooru might be able to say, she will not be able to remove the fact that before then, she was a stranger, and had scared me quite a bit by demanding I get inside her car and talk with her and Sheik. I groaned and leaned further back into the sleigh's seating.

Saria glanced towards me. "Zelda, are you cold?" She asked.

"A little." I murmured.

Saria smiled. "Let's get that blanket out then." She leaned over and opened up the compartment. I reached over and grabbed her binoculars; scared they might fall and break. "Thanks." she said and pulled out the blanket. It was a thick red one. "It looks like it'll cover all of us..." She said, inspecting it. "Nabooru, do you want the blanket, too?"

She shrugged. "Sure, why not."

"Help me spread it out then." She instructed and unfolded it. She handed one section to Nabooru, who pulled it towards the right. She grabbed the other and pulled it towards the left. The blanket quickly unravelled, covering all three of us evenly. Nabooru smiled.

"Perfect."

"It's nice and thick. Just what we needed." Saria gushed. "Zelda, might I have my binoculars?" I nodded and smiled. I had to pull my hands out from underneath the blanket to give the lenses back to her. "Thank you." She took them for a minute and fingered their smooth surface. I watched her.

"Is something wrong?" I asked and titled my head to the side.

"No, there's nothing wrong." She said. "I just want to know, would you like to try using them?" She thrust the binoculars forward. "It's a lot of fun. Really, I mean it. You'll be amazed by what you can see with these. It's a whole other world out there, just waiting to be seen and discovered."

I scooted towards her. From how she described it all, she made it sound like quite the fun little search. "Sure, why not."

* * *

><p>The sleigh ride finished a little over an hour later. Throughout that time, I spent the majority of it talking with Saria. We shared the binoculars and looked around everywhere, searching for any signs of wildlife. It was quite fun, I must admit. With Saria's vast knowledge about the woods and nature in general, she was able to recognize most of the birds we saw throughout the remainder of the sleigh ride. It was quite impressive. At least, in my opinion, that is.<p>

And once the ride finished, we all headed towards the small cabin and bought ourselves hot chocolate. I made sure to treat this time. Still tired from having Link and Saria pay for everything else throughout the entire time I've know them. Nabooru was a bit mad that she couldn't pay for hers, and said that the next time we all went out she would treat.

"Next time?" I repeated, rather baffled by her sudden boldness.

"Of course!" She said before taking another sip of her drink. "Zelda, you didn't think that this would be the end, would it?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively. "It's just the start! You're stuck with us now. Whether you like it or not." She laughed, pointing at me.

And as I sat now by my desk, studying for my upcoming history test, I found myself smiling uncontrollably. The very fact that Nabooru had openly said we would be spending more time together, made me feel quite happy. The entire day had been immensely pleasurable. I was glad to be invited, and even happier to have met Saria and Nabooru.

_Link, you sure have some wonderful friends,_ I thought and glanced back down to my notebook. Just then, my cell phone vibrated. I glanced down towards the item and casually reached for it. I flipped open the lid and read the message. It was from Link.

'If you're not busy, would you like to go on a walk through the park?'

A walk sounded nice, honestly. I pursed my lips together and glanced towards the clock. It was a little past six. If I left a note for mother saying that I merely went for a small walk to clear my head from studying, she might understand... "I hope." I mumbled and got up from the chair.

Assembling all of my supplies, I quickly texted Link a reply and said that I would meet him there in ten minutes. I made my way downstairs and headed for the kitchen. Lying off to the side on the counter was a small notepad my mother and I always used to leave messages for each other. I tore off a sheet and grabbed a blue pen, beginning to write.

_'Mother, I have gone for a small walk. I have my cell phone with and it is turned on. I will be home no later than eight-thirty. I shall see you then. Zelda'_

My eyes scanned the note. Satisfied, I placed the notebook and pen back, and deposited the note on the kitchen table. She would see it when she first walked into the kitchen, I reminded myself and then moved towards the hall closet.

Putting on my coat and a nice warm scarf, I bent down and reached for my boots. They were still a little bit wet from the sleigh ride, but still manageable. Patting my coat pockets, I made sure my gloves and phone were safely inside and then headed for the door. The cold air hit me full force and caused me to sigh. I shook my head and locked the door, then setting off to meet Link.


	9. Edited: Shaping Events

**Chapter Eight:** Shaping Events

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it and I simply adore the little tidbits you added to make this chapter shine. :)

* * *

><p>"Link..." I smiled and waved, my heart warming when I saw him.<p>

"Zelda! Oh, it's good to see you." He greeted and got up from the bench, hugging me tightly. Trouble got himself up from the snow and scampered forward. When we broke apart, I bent down and stroked his back; making him bark and wag his tail at me. I smiled twice as much. "Someone's very happy to see you..." Link noted, chuckling. I stood up and brushed the fur off my gloves.

"Of course he would be happy to see me." I said replied with a snort. "I'm the girl he got a free drink from..." Link rolled his eyes at me, though laughed when he realised that I was referring to the evening when he had caused me to spill my drink. I shook my head at him and looked down at the snow beneath us.

"He was pretty happy by that." He said sarcastically.

I snapped my head back up at him and shouted in protest: "Hey!" Link merely chuckled at me, patting me on the back as Trouble began digging up the snow beneath us; sending the white flakes all over our legs, not that either of us minded. By the time Link had managed to calm Trouble down, he raised an eyebrow at me.

"You ready for our walk?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah but... I can't stay out too long. I need to be home in about an hour." He shrugged.

"That's not a problem. Thank you for gracing us with your presence nonetheless." He winked, bowing a little to add to his point. Trouble barked and inched away, closer towards Link. I watched both males for a minute and in return, I just stuck out my tongue – letting my shoulder slump forwards.

Link chortled to my surprise, laughing even more when Trouble released a small howl in laughter. "Know which direction you'd like to head off in?"

I looked around the snow caked terrain, shrugging and pointing off to the right. "How about the right?" I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed and together we headed off down the snowy trail.

* * *

><p>"So, um, how has school been?" I asked, sticking my hands into my pockets. We hadn't been walking for very long, but Trouble was having a great time while Link and I were lost in silence; not sure of what to say. I couldn't very well tell Link that I bad a basic idea about what was going on, since Nabooru made me promise to not say anything yet – so I kept quiet about my side of life. Link pursed his lips together.<p>

"Well, it's been… harsh." He cringed in thought, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "Ilia's been making it quite troublesome for me." I raised an brow at him and placed a hand on his shoulder, comforting him as he pushed on. "Remember the night we ran into her? Well, after that, she's been… sort of telling people we're dating."

My eyes widened. "Dating?"

Link nodded sadly and continued. "She doesn't even have the facts straight and she's just been spreading all sorts of rumours. Believe me, it's spread like wildfire within a matter of hours. The day after I walked into school, I was bombarded by quite a few people who were asking me whether or not it was true."

"That we were dating?" I asked softly, my face falling a little. He nodded.

"It's kind of stupid, in my opinion. I mean, what does it matter you know? Who cares if someone spent an evening with someone? It's not the end of the world, but a lot of people are treating it like that..." He scoffed and kicked at some snow. "Some times those people really get on my nerves."

"The girls?"

He stifled a laugh. "Especially the girls." He glanced towards me and smiled. I felt my heart rate quicken, but the question was why... "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all girls are bad. In fact, I have two best friends who are girls." Nabooru and Saria, I thought to myself. I just knew it. "I'm actually quite close with them and have been for many years. But it's the other girls that bother me..."

"Like Ilia and Ruto?" I suggested quietly, looking away. He avoided my gaze, only to do a double take towards me.

"How'd you know?" He asked, his eyes shining when I looked back at him. I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, not quite sure of what to say for a moment.

"I'm just good like that." I raised my eyebrows suggestively.

Link chuckled causing me to smile broadly. He placed an arm around my shoulders as we walked, my heart warming as he did so, sighing deeply. When I finally managed to ask what was wrong with him, expecting it to be something about the girls at his school, I didn't expect what he was going to say one bit. "How come more girls can't be like you?" He asked, startling me greatly .

Dumbfounded, I pointed towards myself – still confused and startled as I stopped in my tracks completely. "Me?" I asked loudly, stunned. He smiled and nodded. My cheeks tinted red. I looked down towards the ground in embarrassment. "Link, I'm far from perfect." I admitted. "I'm nowhere near perfect..."

"But you're yourself. And that makes you perfect to me..." He said and took a step closer, placing his hands on my arms. I gulped and looked up. He stared into my eyes, refusing to look away. I tried to back away, but Trouble had moved so that he was directly behind me. I scowled at the dog. He merely barked in response. "Zelda, I haven't known you for that long... but I know that you're not like the other girls I've met." He said quietly, yet confidently, his eyes still shining. "You're not afraid to be yourself and don't try to follow what everyone else does."

"That's because mother would have a field day, if I did." I said my voice lowering, not feeling the urge to smile as I looked back down at the ground – away from Trouble. Link was excessively close for my liking. I didn't know what else to do. My legs felt like jelly, the bones nothing more than straw. It was an odd feeling, something I've never experienced before.

"And that's what I like about you." He admitted and moved his hands up to my shoulder. "You're just being yourself. You're not acting like someone you aren't. Do you know how rare that is to find nowadays?" I shook my head. "Really rare. I mean it." He explained and patted my shoulder. "I'm glad to have met you. I hope that we can continue to see each other and become good friends..."

"Friends?" I repeated, raising my head and eyebrow at him. The word caused my stomach to churn and my mouth to become dry. I didn't like it, not at all. In fact, I actually hated it. Yet when I saw Link smiling and felt his hand still touching my shoulder, I nodded nonetheless. "That sounds perfect."

"Great. I'm glad to hear that." Link said with a broad smile. "And as friends, would you like to have some fun together?"

I frowned at him. "I thought we were already having fun? I was..." The second comment was a lot quieter, and Link thankfully didn't hear it. He shook his head, nonetheless.

"You've never been good friends with someone unless you play around in the snow with them. Come on." He reached for my hand, leading me away from the trail. The amount of trees soon doubled, and I found myself unconsciously cuddling my body close to me as the way got darker. My nervousness crept upwards quickly as we got further and further down the path, realising that he was leading me further off to the side, where a large amount of untouched snow laid.

"Link, where are we going?" I asked with concern, glancing around the park. Link released his hold on my hand (not noticing how bad I felt when I felt his body heat leave my hand to the cold) and grinned.

"Get down!" He ordered playfully.

I blinked. "Why?"

"We're going to make snow angels." He replied simply before shoving me to the ground. I suppressed a scream and landed face first in the ground, the snow covering my face. For a minute, I merely laid there – staring at the snow, still completely shocked. Then I got up and wiped the snow off my face with a deep sigh. Glowering towards Link, I reached for a little bit of snow with my right hand and crumbled it up. "Zelda, want some help?" He said, offering me a hand.

I pointed my nose skywards as I packed the snowball down into a tight ball. "No, I don't want your help." I merely replied, grinning. "Instead, I want you to have this." I laughed at the look of dread on his his face as I threw the small snowball towards him, striking him right in the face. I watched in hilarity as the snow stained his entire nose and part of his cheeks, sending him staggering backwards – but not into the snow.

He said nothing for a moment as he slowly wiped it off his face. Then, after a few moments, he merely frowned at me. "Zelda..." He said, bending down to get some snow. I backed away, fearful as he packed a much larger snowball together. "That wasn't very nice, you know." I raised my arms in defence and inched backwards.

"Link, don't you dare..."

He rolled his eyes at me. "You started it."

"But you're the one who pushed me." I clarified, crossing my arms and pouted.

He shook his head at "I wouldn't have pushed you... if you just got down on your own." I stuck out my tongue, making Link smirk. "Prepare yourself!" And he fired the snowball. I dove down into the snow, causing bits of white to fly everywhere. Some got inside my mouth and up my nose. I sneezed, but thankfully managed to avoid the snowball.

I smiled and started to form one of my own. "My turn!" I cried and flung one at him. He backed away, causing the snowball to hit Trouble instead. My jaw dropped. Letting the rest of the snow fall out of my hands, I jumped to my feet and ran towards the dog. "Trouble! Are you okay?"

Trouble barked and shook off the snow, getting it all on me. I sighed, shaking the snow off of myself and patting his back with a fake smile. "Good dog." I hissed.

"Nice work, boy." Link laughed and patted his head, getting all the affection from Trouble. "You got her."

"Oh yeah..." I said and reached for some more snow. "This isn't over. It hasn't even begun."

Link laughed and bent down to roll up another snowball, looking deep into my eyes for a moment. "We'll see~!" He sang, reminding me of Sheik for a minute. I watching him intently for a long time as he got another snowball together. I blinked and then shook my head, trying to rid myself off the thought. Right now, I needed to concentrate.

If we were going to be friends, then I just had to play the part...

* * *

><p>I was soaking wet and had snow inside both of my boots, but was never happier. I had managed to banish the thoughts of being friends and played well, though I think I may have made a couple of bruises with iceballs instead of snowballs. "Zelda, are you sure you're okay?" Link asked as we walked towards the end of the park. "I could walk you home if you wanted..."<p>

"No, its fine," I protested. "Mother should be home soon, and well—"

"You don't want to take any risks, right?" He finished. I nodded shyly and looked away. Link sighed and Trouble barked, noticing Link's concern. "If that's how you feel... then okay. But at least let me give you this." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of green gloves. I opened my mouth, ready to protest, when Link glared. I shut my mouth instantaneously. "That's better." He began to remove my wet gloves and slipped on the dry ones. I stood still, watching him. "Though your coat and boats are wet, at least your gloves aren't." He laughed meekly.

Beads of sweat formed behind my head. "Thanks..." I said and took my gloves back.

"Sorry about getting you all wet."

I raised my hands in protest. "It's fine. It was fun." My eyes darkened. "How's your head...?" I reach up to his head, but he winces and forces himself away. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—!"

"It's all right." He replies simply. "I've got a think skull..."

I breathe out a sheepish laugh, but there's nothing else. There's a long time where no one speaks, and it soon gets too much. "Next time, I'll be the winner." The fight had lasted for another half an hour and ended with me losing. I had been struck in the face with a snowball and by the time I had wiped it from my face, Link stood in front of me ready to fire an entire arm's full if needed. By then, I knew it was time to cave... "You might have won this time, but next time, I'll be the winner!"

He snorted. "We'll see."

By now, we had reached the end of the park. It was time to say goodbye, for now. "Well, this has been fun." I said and stretched my arms forward. He smiled, revealing his straight white teeth. And yet again, I felt my heart skip a beat. I smiled back at him, and his eyes widened when he realised that he hadn't responded.

"It has, hasn't it?" He paused for a long time, messing with Trouble's leash. "We'll need to see each other again, okay?"

"I would like that." I murmured, feeling a little awkward and uncomfortable. There was another long silence, and I stared down at my hands – or the gloves that I was wearing. My mind still turned back to the "friends" conversation, and it took longer to shake myself out of it than last time. "And we'll need to see each other again." I soon added. "You know, since I'll need to return your gloves to you."

Link nodded, and we started to move away. Before I can fully leave, though, he calls over: "Walk home safely." I nod and smile at him, calling for him to do the same. "When you're there, can you call me?" I blinked at him. "I-I just want to know that you made it home okay."

My eyes softened, making me smile even more. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Perfect."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, I finally arrived home. I reached inside my pocket for the house key and inserted it into the lock. Kicking my boots against the bricks, I tried to remove some of the excess snow that stuck to the shoes before entering inside. I hadn't even managed to shut the door behind me properly before I could hear mother calling down for me.<p>

"Zelda, is that you?" Mother shouted from the kitchen.

"Yes. It is I." I said, swiftly removing Link's gloves when I remember them – tucking them into my pockets. "I am sorry for heading out for a while. It was just such a lovely afternoon. I wanted some fresh air from studying so much." I hung up my coat in the hall closet and then set about removing my shoes. Mother emerged from the kitchen and watched me. She still had her suit and makeup on.

That was a good sign.

I smiled. "It is fine." She agreed, thankfully making the situation far more comfortable to be in. Nonetheless, I wished that I still had Link's gloves on. I wasn't quite sure why, but I just wanted to put them back on; even if they were a little wet. "You have spent the entire day studying after dance class. A break is fine every now and then."

"Thank you." I breathed as I took off my hat.

I began to move into the kitchen when mother took my arm lightly. "However, there is something I would like to talk to you about..." She insisted.

I froze, stuck in her grip as I gulped deeply and turned around to her slowly. "A-About what?" She frowned, as if I should have known the answer to this already.

"Your last test mark..." I sighed in deep relief, holding the spot over my heart. Thank goodness, I thought to myself. I couldn't contain my happiness, but I was forced to when mother insisted: "Zelda, this is not something to be taken lightly!"

I jumped at her tone, losing the smile on my face as I looked down at the ground. "You are right."

She smiled, pleased with my response. "I had called up your chemistry teacher and had a little discussion with him. He informed me that you are still at the top of the class, which is good, but your marks have been... dropping a little."

"By how much?" I asked with a raised brow.

She shook her head, much to my disappointment. "The percentage does not matter." She said flatly, beginning to make her way into the kitchen. "What matters is that we get to the root of this problem." She reflected. "It is not about what will happen later on that worries me but what could happen. Prevention is key, after all."

Silently I agreed. In times like this, I knew better than to object. "That is why; I have taken the liberty of finding you a tutor."

"A tutor?" I repeated, stunned. "Surely you jest, mother."

She looked out of the window in the kitchen with a sigh, and I could see her eyes narrowing in her reflection. My face paled. "Your teacher said nothing but positive remarks about this student. Though he attends another school, your teacher strongly believes he will be able to help raise your final grade." Stepping forwards, I took a deep breath – summoning my courage.

"And might I know his name?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing at her; which she thankfully didn't notice.

"Certainly." She nodded, turning back to me. "I believe it was something along the lines of "Sheik Wilson"..." My heart stopped. A flash of Sheik's smiling face appeared inside my mind.

"I, um, see..." I gulped, ignoring the disapproving glare mother sent me. "How wonderful." I cringed.

"You will meet up with Wilson twice a week." She explained, leaning back against the side. "Your sessions will happen at home, where you will be guaranteed to have a quiet and tranquil location for studying." I nodded at her. "Dinner will also be prepared soon. Go change your clothes and continue to study for your history test." She said dutifully.

"Yes, mother." And I headed towards the stairs.

* * *

><p>Once securely inside my bedroom, I changed out of my wet clothes and placed them into my washroom's hamper. Now sporting a fresh pair of pants and navy shirt with matching shoes, I reached for my phone; still shocked by the news mother had just told me.<p>

"Sheik is my tutor?" I mumbled, texting him. "How absurd! It must be another Sheik then." When I sent the text, I leaned back into my chair – awaiting for his reply. It took nearly five minutes, and when I opened up the message, my jaw dropped at what I saw. My right eye twitched, and I had to put my phone on the desk – only for both myself and the chair to fall backwards.

_**'That's right, I'm your tutor! Can't wait to see you this coming Monday. It'll be loads of fun! :)'**_


	10. Edited: A Forming Understanding

**Chapter Nine:** A Forming Understanding

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my wonderful beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I really appreciate it and I simply adore the little tidbits you added to make this chapter shine. I espeically love the ending, that last line you added was pure genius. Thank you so much for all the help. You truly are the best. :)**  
><strong>

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><p>The rest of the weekend passed in a blur. Once I had gotten over my initial shock of Sheik being my chemistry tutor, I phoned Link and we had a short talk. He informed me that Sheik was really smart in the Sciences. He was planning to major in Chemistry, I believe is what Link said. Anyway, though, Sheik is at the top of all his courses offered at his school – all three of the Sciences: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The last one astounded me, especially. Physics is considered to be the hardest of all three Sciences taught in any High School, and to know that Sheik is let alone in the course, and getting the highest mark is quite remarkable.<p>

My impression of the boy had changed quite dramatically...

I had to stifle a laugh.

After our quick talk, we ended the call and I plunged myself into my school work. When I had cracked the History book open and started to read the pages one by one – while making notes on the side – I had been absorbed, drawn into the very pages. Whenever I begin to read any form of History, it just pulled me in. Everything about it just... fascinates me. I love the dates, learning how people lived during the various times, how society has evolved. It's wondrous! I could have spent hours alone studying the subject, but mother had called me from downstairs, saying that dinner was ready.

Dinner had been fairly quiet, leading to a fairy quiet evening in itself. Mother and I only exchanged curt greetings and nothing more. The air was tense in some ways, but never bothered me too much. It had always been like this, and was just something I had been living with for years on end. When finished, I washed and dried my plate along with my cutlery and left the room in silence; heading back upstairs after excusing myself to complete work. The rest of the evening passed by slowly and I had been preoccupied with studying, note making and the occasional text from Sheik, Nabooru, Link and even Saria.

And that wasn't even the worst day...

Sunday went by even slower, but was like any other Sunday in general I guess. Mother headed off for the University, leaving me at home alone. I practised some ballet downstairs in the basement. Mother had a bar and set of mirrors set up in a corner of the basement a few years ago so that I could practice in peace. I spent a good two hours downstairs before finishing off with a nice shower. I ended off the day with working on more homework and studying.

While studying though, sometimes I got distracted by watching the snow fall. It was too beautiful to ignore. You would stare as well. Every now and then, I longed to run outside and play in the snow; but knew I should not. I had other priorities to worry over, and playing in the snow would only cause for trouble later on. Thus, I shut the blinds and the curtains and focused all of my attention onto my course work. Before I even knew it, the day was over and Monday was about to come. It was time to head back to school and face another five days with my peers.

What fun… not!

* * *

><p>It was still as annoying as it was before, but I shouldn't have expected any different in all honesty. Tiffany and a bunch of other girls were still pestering me about Link. They still wanted information about what had transpired between the two of us all those days ago. It was starting to drive me insane, and I think they knew that deep down – but either carried on for the sake of gathering information, or chose to ignore it. Whatever they had done this for, I was close to tipping over the edge of the Cliff of Life...<p>

I slammed my locker shut with a loud bang, getting a few startled reactions. I gritted my teeth and stalked to my next class. It was the end of the day and I was pissed – more than pissed, if that was possible. I had not been able to eat lunch in peace or get any work done in any of my other classes. The girls were too nosy, for the love of Nayru! I had bucket loads of notes they had passed me, which all read the same thing: 'Are you and Link an item? If not, can you give him my number? Its: xxx – xxxx'

I had to make three trips to various recycling bins all day to trash all of the notes they had given me. My bag was full and my locker stuffed – some planted notes in there too.

"Stupid girls…" I grumbled darkly under my breath as I slid into my seat. My last class of the day was English. It was a nice way to end the day, since my teacher: Mr. Rusl, was such a nice man. On the first day of classes, he told everyone to call him by his first name. He hated it when students called him by his last name, which was Collins. He claimed it made him feel old. Thus, all of us started calling Mr. Collins, Mr. Rusl instead, and its stuck like glue ever since.

"Hello, Zelda." He smiled and glanced up from his desk.

"Hello... Mr. Rusl." I chimed, surveying him for a minute. Mr. Rusl was a man in his late thirties. He had short blond hair and wore a white headband most of the time. Sometimes he reminded me of a student whenever I would see him with his various headbands. Yet when he spoke, that was when you were able to tell he was older. His choice of words and vocabulary was so much more… enriched, advanced even, than most of the other students and teachers here at the school. He spoke eloquently and usually knew what to say perfectly for any situation!

Because of this, a few students believe he is physic. They claim he is able to see the future and know when others come to him for advice before they even know it, so that he will be prepared to solve their dilemmas. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Mr. Rusl was no physic. He was merely an intelligent and kind man. Not to mention, he was also one of my favourite teachers within the entire school – besides Mr. Rauru, of course.

"Zelda, how are you?"

I lifted my head up from my bag, where I was getting by things out of. He was casually walking towards my desk, as if the weight of the world meant nothing to him. I was the first person inside the room since lunch hadn't ended yet, but I was glad of it so I could prepare myself for those damn messages again. "I'm fine." I sighed and looked away, catching his attention. Mr. Rusl frowned.

"Something is bothering you. What is it?" He asked. "You know you can speak your mind to me, Zelda."

My brows furrowed, but I breathed out a small laugh for him. "Is it that obvious?"

Mr. Rusl chuckled. "Just a smidge." I groaned.

"Wonderful."

Mr. Rusl sat down on the desk in front of me. I watched him and remained quiet. "Zelda, usually you're so focused and devoted to your work. I have never seen you act so…" He struggled to find the right word. "Confused." He soon decided, clasping his hands together. I raised a brow at him, not sure how to react for the longest of time.

"Mr. Rusl, nothing is wrong, I swear it. I am just tired."

He didn't look convinced, making my shoulders slum forwards in doubt and defeat. "What's bothering you?"

My eyes wandered towards the door and the few people who stood outside chatting in the corridor, my voice dying in my throat as I did so. Mr. Rusl seemed to understand, for the next moment, he had gotten up from the desk and was making his way towards the door. He shut and locked it. I sighed in relief. "Feel better, I presume?" He offered me a grin.

"Plenty."

"Care to explain now?" He inquired and sat back down.

My gaze wandered towards the ground. "Have you ever experienced a moment where… a lot has transpired in a short amount of time?" I asked and stared at him.

"That depends by what you mean." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, knowing somewhat what I had meant. "In most cases, I believe a lot of people have experienced that in some ways or forms."

"I suppose." I sighed and crossed my arms, sighing deeply. "It's a hard feeling to describe." I grimaced. "To point blank and shoot, I've just gotten myself into a little mess." I shut my eyes and bit my bottom lip. I could feel Mr. Rusl watching me, and knew he was interested.

"Would you like me to start from the beginning?" I offered meekly.

"That sounds like a plan." He nodded and sat down in the desk's chair again.

No less than five minutes later, Mr. Rusl knew everything. He had kept silent throughout my entire explanation, though he did seem like he wanted to cut in a numerous moments during it. I made sure to leave out some details, such as the main body of the numerous conversations I shared with Link, and the day I spent with Nabooru and Saria. Besides that though, he knew everything. "Zelda, you're tired because of the constant notes and questioning, correct?"

I nodded as he stood up. "That's right. I'm more annoyed than tired, actually." I corrected him. I hissed, grinding my teeth. "It's quite a bit to handle, and is pretty much driving me up the wall." Mr. Rusl did nothing but chuckle casually.

"I know the feeling all too well."

I sat up straight, tilting my head at him. "What do you mean?"

"Your very friend has confided to me from time to time, too."

My jaw dropped. "You... you know Link?"

He nodded and smiled at my reaction to this news. "His younger sister Aryll is good friends with my son, Colin. From time to time, Link has babysat for me. Colin really likes Link." He smiled warmly. "He looks up to him quite a bit."

My eyes softened. "Link babysits for you?" I murmured, feeling my cheeks heating up.

"That's right." Mr. Rusl said. "He's a good boy. I can understand why you'd enjoy spending time with him." He rubbed his chin. "And I can understand why a lot of girls would be interested in him. The boy is too kind-hearted. He doesn't know when to say no, especially to a sad face." I pulled a face, curious on what, exactly, he meant. "Whenever his younger sister wants something from him, she'll use this adorable little pout against him. Link can never refuse it." Mr. Rusl explained with a pint of amusement etched into his voice.

"I see." I leaned further back into my chair, breathing out a laugh. "I can imagine that actually."

"But back to topic on hand, Zelda." He said, heading towards the door and turning the conversation back to me and not Link. "What you feel is completely natural. Any person in your situation would be annoyed and tired from the constant questioning and messages."

"What should I do about it, though?" I whined, not acting as I usually would.

Mr. Rusl stopped walking and sighed, as if he had been through this a lot before in his past. "In my opinion, I think it would be best to not complain to any other females about this." When he saw my mouth dropping, he quickly interjected and raised his hands in a defensive way. "Because you do not want any unnecessary drama to arise because of this, do you?"

"No." I shook my head, my face paling.

The mere thought of other girls teaming up to try to attack me, let alone do anything to me, sent massive chills down my spine. I gulped and breathed in deeply. "Zelda, I'm not trying to scare you." Mr. Rusl said earnestly, then mumbling the rest. "I'm just trying to help you. I don't want you to experience anything because of this. In all honesty, the girls should be minding their own business, and worrying over other matters. But then again, they're only teenagers."

Beads of sweat formed behind my head and lower brow. I chuckled nervously and fanned myself with my notebook. "Still though, I don't know what to do about them." I slouched back into my seat. "I had to make three trips to the recycling bins today." I muttered, though loud enough for him to hear. "The girls had given me so many notes it was crazy..."

"I can imagine it would be." Mr. Rusl said and fiddled with his headband. "For now, from how you describe it, it sounds like you are handling the situation well. If anything spirals out of control however, don't feel embarrassed to come and ask me for help Zelda. I'm here to assist you whenever you'll need it." He patted my shoulder. "You're a smart and wise girl. I'm sure you'll figure out what to do."

"Thank you Mr. Rusl." I smiled my heart pounding, feeling the tips of my ears growing warm to match my face. "That... really means a lot to hear."

"You're one of my best students, Zelda. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He headed back towards the door, smiling back at me. "If you ever want to talk, I usually spend most of my lunches in the classroom. If I'm not here, check the teacher's lounge." He unlocked the door. "If you ever need to talk or need anything, feel free to ask, okay?"

"Right." I whispered back, feeling uncomfortable as I saw the students beginning to enter.

"Wonderful." He said and began to welcome other students into the classroom.

I fiddled with my notebook for a minute and glanced towards Mr. Rusl. Currently, he was speaking with a few boys and girls. Each of them was smiling and some were laughing. My eyes softened. "Thank you, Mr. Rusl..." I whispered during his chat with the students, a warm sensation filling my body as the students returned to their usual seats – the outset of the lesson beginning. "I cannot thank you enough... for everything."

* * *

><p>School was out and finished for the day, a weight from my chest being lifted so fast that I didn't realise it had gone for the longest of time. Ever since my chat with Mr. Rusl, I had felt much better about everything. I had managed to complete the remainder of the day with a smile on my face and throughout the entire walk home. By the time I reached the front steps, mother unlocked the door for me and stood in the foyer.<p>

"Hello." I greeted her with a smile. She merely frowned. I raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"Zelda, your tutor will be here in twenty minutes. If you have anything you need to finish before he arrives, get to it now." Not wasting another second, I dropped my bag on the ground and removed my coat and boots. Putting them away, I scampered upstairs with my bag trailing behind. "Be sure to have plenty of paper and pens on hand, as well as your textbook and binder." Mother shouted from downstairs.

I rolled my eyes. "I will not forget. Thank you for the reminder, however." I cried and shut the door with a slam. "Really, how naïve do you think I am?" I muttered under my breath as I unzipped my bag. "I know what to bring downstairs for tutoring, I am not that dumb..." I headed towards my closet and changed out of my uniform. I settled for a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black shirt with matching fuzzy black shoes, making my feet feel all warm and toasty.

"What else should I do?" I said to myself, wondering aloud to help me think better. "I'm just going to bring my entire bag downstairs since I have everything inside there all ready. I've changed my clothes and hung up my uniform." It would be too late to take a shower, even a quick one. "I guess I'll just goof around until then." I sighed.

And yet, mother was calling me downstairs before I could fully relax from the day's events. I shot up from the bed and jumped to my feet, shouting that I was coming and carried my bag downstairs. Right before heading down the stairs, I made sure that my hair was not in a complete disarray and that my clothing was neat and straight. Then I headed downstairs, awaiting what Hell I was about to go through – especially when I knew exactly who my tutor was.

Farore, give me the strength to get through this. Nayru, give me the wisdom to please mother. And Din, give me the power to push through these tough times...


	11. Edited: Session One

**Chapter Ten:** Session 1

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesome beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I simply adore the little changes you've made. If anyone has time, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

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><p>Sheik stood in front of the door, his backpack slung over one shoulder with his hair tied back into his usual braid. I watched from the bottom of the stairs as mother scrutinized him, taking in his features. From the way her eyes narrowed and lips were pursed, I could tell this is not what she had been expecting. "Hello, Ms. Winters." He greeted professionally, holding a hand out to her. "I am Zelda's tutor."<p>

"Sheik, was it not?" Mother murmured her tone rude, not extending her hand herself to accept the gesture. Sheik chuckled.

"That is correct." He glanced in my direction. "Hello, Zelda."

I nodded. I extended a hand forward. Sheik reached out and shook my hand, allowing me to notice the look of anger crossing through Mother's eyes as we do so. "It is quite nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." He insisted joyfully, winking at me as the sunlight caught his eyes.

I suppressed a giggle. "Mother, might Sheik and I retreat to the dinning room to begin?"

Mother crossed her arms, biting her tongue mostly as she said: "Be my guest."

"Thank you." I smiled. I led Sheik down the hallway and turned right entering the dinning room. The dinning room was a simple yet spacious room. In the centre was a large oak table. The table seated eight, but could accommodate ten. Leaning against the northern wall was an expensive curio cabinet, where Mother stored most of her wine inside the cabinet – under lock and key, of course. The walls were painted a soothing green and various plates and paintings lined the walls. However, I spent little time happy in here.

Sheik whistled and sat down. "It feels quite expensive in here..." He whispered, drawing his finger across the grain of the table.

"You haven't seen _anything_." I told him, my soft smile growing as I spoke.

He raised an eyebrow, causing me to laugh lightly. I could tell that he wanted to ask more, but just then, Mother entered. She marched right over in my direction and stared down to Sheik. Sheik remained silent and composed. "I expect nothing less but perfection from you." She stated hotly. "All of your teachers speak nothing but excellence of you. If you are as good as they say you are, then you should have no trouble in aiding my daughter."

Sheik cleared his throat. "Ms. Winters, I feel quite confident that I will be able to help Zelda with whatever difficulty she has with her course."

Mother's eyes narrowed. "Do not be so overconfident young man. Overconfidence quickly leads to arrogance, and arrogance can lead to both pompous and foolish behaviour."

"Y-Yes Ma'am." He nodded, messing with his fingers to occupy what are most likely his racing thoughts.

I sighed under my breath as Mother backed away. "Zelda's marks have been dropping. Though the marks have not decreased by a large amount thus far, I do not want to take any risks. Be sure to go over her last test and point out anything incorrect. By the end of this session, I will have expected Zelda to have understood her errors and learn the next lesson for her class tomorrow."

Sheik glanced in my direction. "Of course, Ms. Winters."

Shyly, I glanced down towards the ground. Mother headed towards the doors. "I would much prefer to sit down and join you both in your teaching, but I have a meeting in an hour with other colleagues down at the University. Zelda." She suddenly added spoke, creating a mix of me jumping and wincing at once. "I will not be back until late this evening. Be sure to prepare yourself dinner. Do not wait for me."

"Yes, Mother. Thank you informing me." I responded, fiddling with my hands like Sheik.

Mother agreed without word and simply walked out of the room. I listened as the sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floor echoing throughout the house. I listened until they stopped. _She's at the closet_, I thought, hearing the sound of the doors opening. _Right now, she's... grabbing her coat, bag and boots._ In my mind, I could see mother sitting down, slipping on her boots and zipping them up. A moment later, the lock clicked. She was about ready to leave.

"Goodnight." She called from the foyer and walked outside.

Then, the door slammed shut.

I heaved a sigh of relief and leaned further back into my chair. "Thank goodness." I wiped my forehead.

"What the heck… was that?" Sheik stuttered. I snapped my head over, passing him a look of sheer confusion. "That." He pointed towards the door. "Was that seriously your Mother?" I nodded. His eyes widened. "…You poor soul." He whispered. I bit on my bottom lip, beginning to laugh. Sheik grinned and leaned over ruffling my hair. "Seriously, I don't know how you've put up with that for so many years." He shook his head, staring down towards the table. "It was just so..."

"Unusual?" I suggested.

"No." He clicked his tongue. "Unusual is much too common. I'd say more like … _freaky_." I snorted. "Yeah, don't judge my word choice, girl." He laughed. "She's like one of those helicopter parents you always hear about on the news."

"Helicopter parents?" I repeated, stunned, never hearing such a phrase before.

Sheik shrugged. "You know, the parents that basically… well, they hover; like _all _the time! They want the best for their kids, and won't stop at anything until they've reached perfect."

I gave him a dull look before correcting him. "_More_ than perfect." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Mother wants more than perfect." I explained to him. Then, I realized the error of my sentence. "No, forget that last sentence. See, Mother _expects_ more than perfect."

Sheik slapped his forehead. "There's no such thing as perfect." He informed me.

"Tell me about it..." I groaned. "But try getting that through my Mother's thick skull."

Sheik rolled his eyes. "In any event, let's move on from this topic. How about we start some Chemistry?" His eyes sparkled. "Firstly, bring out your previous test." Reluctantly, I complied. I bent down and pulled out my binder, slid out the test and handed it to him. Sheik took it and quickly flipped through it. As I placed the binder onto the table, I heard him curse. I looked up, confused.

"Is something bad?" I asked him.

With a dead-panned expression, Sheik turned the paper. "Zelda, you don't need a tutor." He pointed to the mark. "You've got a ninety-six percent on this paper for Farore's sake!" I blinked, though my face relaxed when I realised just exactly what he had said.

"What did I just tell you?" I shrugged. "That doesn't satisfy my Mother."

Sheik held out his hand. "Show me your other tests."

"I'll just give you the entire binder..." I said and handed it to him. Like all of my other binders for school, my Chemistry binder was organized in chronological older. Dividers separated the tests, quizzes, assignments, planning of assignments and notes. Out of habit, I always made two copies of my notes. One during class, and secondly, when I rewrote them. Mother had me start this habit back during middle school, and since then it's been embedded within me, I suppose you could say.

Sheik whistled and shut the binder. He stared at me. I stared back. "Zelda, you don't need a tutor." He repeated for a second time. "Your marks are good. Heck, they're great!" He shook his head. "The first test you showed me is your lowest mark for goodness sake – and by one point no less."

"Chemistry is one the harder subjects for me." I admitted truthfully.

Sheik grinned. "Let me guess, you must spend hours a night studying this then, huh?" From my burning cheeks, I assumed Sheik got his answer. He leaned back into his chair and cracked his knuckles. "I suppose we can go over what you got wrong, which is basically nothing, and then go over whatever you learned today."

"Sounds like a plan..." I murmured and handed him back the test. Sheik did one quick scan through the test and then placed it onto the table.

"Your mistakes were mostly on the multiple choice." He explained. "The first mistake you made is fairly simple." I bit my bottom lip. He held up the paper and read the question aloud. "A compound contains 17.6 percent sodium, 39.7 percent chromium, and 42.8 percent oxygen. What is the empirical formula?" He looked my way. "The correct answer is Sodium: 2, Chromium: 3, and Oxygen: 7."

My lips parted in shock, my mind transformed into complete mush within a matter of moments. "How did you figure that out so quickly?"

Sheik shrugged. "It's easy. Give me a piece of paper and a pen, and I'll show you." Thus, for the twenty minutes, Sheik went over every single question I got wrong. In complete detail, he explained everything, never once losing his patience. As we put the test away and went over the day's lesson, I found myself grasping the concepts even more. What would have taken hours on my own to understand only took minutes with Sheik. "You get any assigned work from your teacher?" Sheik questioned.

I flipped through my agenda. "He just assigned a few questions in the textbook. He never checks them and no one does them."

"But let me guess, you do." He grinned. I rolled my eyes. "Thought so." He chuckled. "Bring out the textbook and we'll work on them. Grasping the work is one thing, but doing the homework is just as important." I nodded and pulled out the book from my bag. Sheik glanced over and studied the contents written inside my agenda. "Page one hundred." He read aloud and took the book from my hands. "Numbers one to eight… simple enough."

Suddenly, the sound of a rock song filled the air. "Huh?" I stammered.

Sheik cursed. "It's my phone." He reached inside his pocket and withdrew a sleek, black phone. With the press of a button, he raised it to his ear. "Hello? Who's there?" Someone replied. Sheik pushed the chair back and stood up. "Be right back." He mouthed, gesturing to his phone, and walked into the hallway.

I nodded and started the work. The first few questions were easy. By the time I reached number three, Sheik returned smiling and laughing. "What's so funny?" I asked curiously.

Sheik sat down and fiddled with his hair. "That was Nabooru. Apparently, a party's going on tonight."

I didn't know how to respond. "Um ... cool." I barely managed to say. Sheik snorted, giving me a thumbs up.

"Nice."

"I've finished the first two questions." I announced and passed him the sheet in a weak attempt to break away from the "party" conversation that I knew was about to begin. He briefly read them over and then handed the sheet back to me.

"They're correct."

"Thought so." I laughed and reached for my pen. "This stuff isn't too hard once explained properly."

"That's not entirely true." Sheik corrected me. I looked up, surprised. He continued. "Even when explained, sometimes people get the answers wrong."

My eyes drooped. "That might be true—"

"But it doesn't apply for you." He interrupted me with a firm look. I tilted my head, perplexed. "Zelda, you're smart." He admitted, crossing one leg. I stared down to my homework. "You care about your school work and are interested in what you learn. You try your hardest and grasp the concepts well. You're a good student and a bright girl. Don't think otherwise." I opened my mouth ready to object, but Sheik startled me by ruffling my hair again.

"Sheik!" I yelled and swatted his hands away. "Stop."

Sheik clicked his tongue. "Once you're finished this work, what do you say you go with me?" I dropped my pen. Sheik chuckled loudly. "Not like that, Zelda." He shook his head. "I mean, why don't you come with me to the party?"

Instantaneously, I raised my hands, shaking them profoundly. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" he asked. "Your mom told you openly that she wouldn't be back for a while. This work you're doing shouldn't take you anymore than fifteen minutes to finish." My felt mouth suddenly felt quite dry.

"Sheik, still… I don't think that's a good idea."

"That's not a valid reason." He pointed out. "If you give me a good enough reason, I'll let the idea slide."

I pursed my lips together. "Homework?" I responded, knowing all ready that it was a terrible excuse – even if it was good enough for me any day. Sheik rolled his eyes and reached for my agenda. "Hey!" I shouted. "Give that back."

"Besides Chemistry, you don't have anything else marked down for today." He slapped the agenda onto the table. I jumped.

"Still though, I have other stuff to do." I said. He sent me a dull look, almost mimicking mine. I made a list with my fingers. "Fix myself dinner, make lunch for tomorrow, and take a shower, practice dance and read my book for tomorrow."

"Nothing you can't do after coming back." Sheik said, grinning like a maniac. I looked away and crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh come on, Zelda. Don't be like that." He leaned in closer and nudged my shoulder. "I bet if I told you that Link would be there, you'd come." I snapped my head up, eyes shining with glee.

"Link… would be there?"

Sheik grinned, raising a fist in celebration and slapping his hand on my shoulder. "Hook line and sinker!"

"I'm not going!" I hollered and stood up.

"We'll just see about that." Sheik said and withdrew his phone. Confused, I watched him punch in a few buttons and raise the phone to his ear. "Hi Nabooru." He began. "About the party tonight, how would you feel if I brought Zelda with?" He paused for a minute. "I think it'd be a great idea too, but the little lady doesn't agree." My cheeks flushed pink. "You want to talk with her?" Sheik asked. My eyes widened.

"No, no, no!" I mouthed, waving my hands back and forth.

"Hold on for a minute, Nabooru..." Sheik said and covered one part of the phone with his hand. "Zelda, you won't have to talk with her, if you agree to come with me to the party."

"Sheik!" I screamed. "That's not fair."

He shrugged. "That's life, kid. Now choose. Either have to deal with Nabooru's pestering or simply go with me?" His smile widened. "If I were you, I'd go with option two. Option two is much less… vocal than option one."

"Uhh…" I slid back down into my seat. "Fine, you win… I'll go." I huffed.

Sheik flashed me a peace sign. "Great." He brought the phone back to his ear. "Nabooru, forget about having to lecture her, she's coming with me. We'll see you there at six. Bye!"

"That's a bit early for a party, ain't it?" I asked. Never one for parties, I always assumed they occurred later on during the evening.

"Zelda, you are _so_ naïve ..." He chastised. "Naturally the party starts later. We'll be meeting up at Nabooru's at seven." I let out a small sound as things clicked in my head before nodding in agreement. Sheik tapped my book with his hand. "Let's get this work finished, just so we can leave earlier." He said.

"Aye, aye captain." I replied dryly with a mock salute and turned my attention back to the work.

"Zelda..." Sheik groaned. "That wasn't very nice."

"That's life, kid." Sheik burst out into a fit of laughter, nearly falling out of the chair. I bit down on my bottom lip, attempting to hold back the urge to laugh. Maybe the Goddesses were smiling down on me, merely because something in my life had changed at this point. I forgot about how much life wanted me to push me down, and focused on the future. "You cannot know the light if you have not experienced the darkness." I remember someone telling me once. "How could you know what happiness feels like if you know not what it means to be sad. Right does not exist without wrong. Hate exists because there is fear. You are either driven by fear or love. To love is not to fear. It is to be godly."


	12. Edited: The Party

**Chapter Eleven:** The Party

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesomely fantastic beta, RandomButLoved, for editing the chapter. I ADORE the little changes you've made to make this chapter sparkle even more. If anyone has time, please, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

* * *

><p>Sheik pulled up his car up to a small two-story home. It had a wraparound porch extending all the way to the back, lined with colourful flower boxes and small shrubs near the ground. As I clambered out of the car, I couldn't help but remark: "This is cute." Sheik chuckled as he followed me, as if what I had said was some form of joke. I turned to him.<p>

"It's Saria's house. Nabooru wouldn't dare have a house like this." Sheik explained, locking the car behind him. I laughed lightly, only to read between the lines moments after.

"Weren't we heading to Nabooru's house?" I questioned, confused.

Sheik shrugged his shoulders, not even looking at me. "I just got a text saying to come here. I don't know what those two wanted me to do. I'm only a man..." I suppressed the urge to laugh, but barely. I gestured towards the door.

"Let's just head inside." I suggested instead, making him shrug once again without a care.

"Whatever."

We walked up the walkway and climbed the few steps. Sheik knocked on the door and I rang the bell. Someone shouted something from inside, and Nabooru opened the door within seconds, a broad smirk on her face – all ready made up for the party. "It's about time you two got here." She said, her grin never fading as she gestured inside, allowing us to enter.

"Not my fault." Sheik insisted, having another urge to shrug. "I got lost."

"How can you get lost, Sheik?" Nabooru demanded, raising a brow at him. "You've driven to Saria's house plenty of time before."

"But not from Zelda's neighbourhood." He pointed out smartly.

I groaned. "Whatever..." Nabooru mumbled. "Anyhow, Zelda, come with me." She reached for my hand, leading me out of the foyer. I barely had enough time to remove my shoes, before she was leading me down a long hallway.

"Where are we going?" I inquired, even more perplexed than before. Nabooru raised an eyebrow before she gestured to my outfit with a slight look of disdain. I pouted. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"The problem is that they're _boring_!" Nabooru commented as if it was obvious to anyone other than me before we stepped inside what looked to be Saria's bedroom. The walls were a calming green and behind the bed was a mural of a forest. The ground was lined with squares of dark green, and it took me a moment to realize that those were little pieces of a rug. The ones anyone can buy at their local furniture store to create their own rug of any size and shape. "Now, sit down."

Nabooru released her hold on my hand and pushed me down onto the desk chair. My rear hit it with a bang. I groaned and shut my eyes in pain. "Hi Zelda!" Saria chimed. I opened my eyes and saw her walk into the room. She shut the door behind her and carried what looked to be a tray of food. "I brought us all something to eat."

"What is Sheik doing?" I asked, hesitantly reaching for a cookie.

"Playing on the Wii." Saria explained with a slight shrug. What _was_ it with people and shrugging? "We're... going to be in here for a while, so it's the best thing he can use to keep himself entertained."

"Perfect!" Nabooru replied and then spun the chair around. Out of surprise, I dropped the remainder of the cookie onto the ground. Annoyed, I stared towards Nabooru, who in return, smiled snidely. "Not the end of the world, Zelda." She said and waved her index finger back and forth, concerning me greatly. I stuck out my tongue, but Saria soon stepped in.

"Zelda, can you remove your hair tie?" She asked sweetly. Shyly, I reached back and undid my loose braid. Saria set the tray down onto the desk and walked behind me, already beginning to fiddle with my hair. "You have such thick locks..." She commented. "Lucky."

"Um, thank you?" I mumbled, unsure.

"Zelda, what do you think of this?" Nabooru asked, holding up a pair of dark skinny jeans, a light grey shirt with darker grey lined running across the top, a sleeveless jacket and matching black heels.

My eyes widened. "What… for?" I gulped.

"Your outfit," she insisted. "You look to be about the same size as Saria and me, so we combined a few of our outfits together to create a good ensemble for you." She thrust the clothes and shoes forward. "The bathroom is right across from Saria's room. Go get changed and then come back in here."

"Come on, Zelda. I'll show you." Saria reached for my arm and helped me get up from the seat, sensing a disruption in how comfortable I was with this. We walked out into the hallway and over towards the washroom. "Go get changed." She smiled and pushed me inside with a week. "I'll be right outside."

My eyebrows shot up, nearly touching my hairline. I forced a small smile and shut the door, locking it. I dropped every article of clothing onto the ground and exhaled a loud, heavy sigh. Walking towards the sink, I turned on the water and splashed a fair amount of cold water on my face. Unsuccessfully, it did nothing to calm my perplexed and confused nerves. "Farore, Nayru, and Din, how did I get here?"

"Zelda, everything okay?" Saria called from outside.

"Just peachy…" I murmured and removed my jacket. Bit by bit, I slipped on each piece of clothing that Nabooru had given me. She was right, they did fit, but didn't seem natural in any way. As I studied myself in the mirror, the shoes the last piece to slide on, I found myself studying the clothing that hugged my body. Casting a longing glance towards my sweater and jeans, I sighed and strapped the shoes on. "I'm done." I called and unlocked the door.

Walking out, I kept my original clothes close, fearful that someone might grab them and never let me have them back. "Zelda!" Saria gushed. "You look so pretty."

A light shade of pink tickled my cheeks. "Um, thank you..."

Nabooru stood by the doorway. "I knew that combination would work on you. Just a few last things to do and you'll be all set." Few last things, I thought to myself and walked inside the room. _What could she mean by that?_

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, I walked out of Saria's room once more, my hair straightened and pinned back to perfection; something Mother would be proud of, without the outfit, of course. A few bangles lined my left wrist, clacking and shining under the florescent lights as I walked and a black necklace hung from my neck, nearly reaching the end of shirt.<p>

A bit of make-up lined my face, highlighting my key features – Nabooru's words not mine, I swear. Since I was all finished, that meant that Sheik and I only had to wait for both of them to get finished. Afterwards, all four of us would head to the party. "Zelda, is that you?" Exclaimed Sheik. He paused his game and looked at me, surprised. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yes." I huffed indignantly. "It's me."

"You could have fooled me..." He laughed and scooted over, allowing me to sit down. "You look like a whole other person." I frowned, unable to retort in any way as I look out of the window. "You don't seem so happy..." He noted.

I shrugged, finally my turn to do it. "I'm just... not used to this." I explained. "The clothing, the products and everything else. It so… foreign to me, that's all."

Sheik smiled sympathetically. "It's not the end of the world, Zel. You'll get to used it." I leaned further back into the sofa, unsure of what to say or do in response. "Do you want to know something that'll make you feel better?" Sheik offered. I looked back at him.

"Huh?" I sat up. "What do you mean?"

Sheik reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone. "While you three were busy, I was texting Link. Apparently, his mom had to take his car. His younger sister had to be driven to dance class or something, and his dad's car was still gone and his mom's car is in the shop being repaired."

"What's your point?" I asked.

Sheik grinned. "Link doesn't live too far from here. Instead of waiting for his mom to come back with the car, he's going to walk over here and head to the party with us. How does that sound, huh?" He nudged my arm with his elbow. "Doesn't that get you smiling?"

I chewed at my lip. "Be quiet," I mumbled.

Someone knocked at the door. Sheik grinned and dropped his phone onto the coffee table. "That must be Link." He said and winked, laughing a my sullen yet giddy glare. "I'll go answer the door." Before I could even reply, Sheik got up and headed for the foyer. I craned my neck, attempting to hear the conversation that was occurring in the foyer. Nothing but the sound of Sheik's videogame and music blaring from Saria's bedroom was heard though. I pouted and stared at the screen. "Link, we've got a little surprise for you," Sheik called, entering the living room.

"What do you mean?" Link questioned. My cheeks turned red. They were nearly in the living room. Frantically, I looked around, wanting to find somewhere to hide. I didn't want Link to see me in this alien material covering my body. I shuddered at the thought. Jumping to my feet, I walked towards the back of the couch about ready to crouch down and hide. "Zelda, what are you doing?"

I shot up like a rocket. "L-Link!" I stuttered, fiddling with my hands. "How nice to see you."

Link smiled. "I didn't know that you would be here."

Sheik grinned. "Why were you trying to hide behind the couch?"

Beads of sweat formed behind the back of my head. "I, um, don't know." I laughed forcefully and reluctantly stepped forward, fingers messing with my hair. The heels clacked against the hardwood floor and I forced myself to sit on the edge of the couch.

Sheik plopped down and reached for his controller. "Zel, don't be shy. Sit closer." By his tone of voice and glimmering eyes, I knew he meant more. Glowering towards him, I slid down somewhat. Link then sat down next to me. My head shot up. Link looked my way and smiled. I blushed and looked away.

"Ain't this cozy?" Sheik cooed his gaze locked on the screen.

Link and I exchanged similar glances. "How so?" Murmured Link.

Sheik's grin widened. "You really want to know?"

I groaned and rubbed my temples, but Nabooru and Saria saved us before Sheik could speak up. "We're ready!" Nabooru and Saria chorused, walking into the living room. Saria wore cute outfit, mostly consisting of greens and browns; even thought it wasn't surprising. Nabooru sported an outfit made of rich purples and black. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and Saria wore hers down.

"About time." Sheik groaned and ended his game. "It felt like you two were taking forever in there."

Nabooru rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Sheik." He said something in response that I couldn't hear, though it must have been even worse than what he said before because Nabooru hits him hard on the arm – reminding me of when I first "met" the two of them.

"Link, what are you doing here?" Saria asked, watching as both of us got up. Link stretched his arms forward, but shook his head. She nodded and headed for the foyer. "Let's get going!" She announced cheerfully.

"I agree with that!" Sheik shouted and marched out of the living room.

"Sheik, get back here and clean up this mess!" Nabooru screamed, pointing towards the television that was still on, the controller that was left on the couch and the bits of food and drinks that littered the coffee table.

Link chuckled and I looked away. "Come on." He whispered and led me towards the foyer. "I just know that Sheik is already outside in his car, waiting for us."

"How do you know that?" I asked, sliding on my jacket and scarf.

"Experience." Link mouthed and zipped up his jacket. Someone honked their car horn. Link grinned and unlocked the door. Right by the curb, Sheik sat in his car, eyeing us frantically. "See." Link pointed out obviously. "Come on, before Nabooru ropes us into cleaning..."

"Link—"

Yet Link grabbed my gloved hand and dragged me outside. We ran down the walkway and towards Sheik's car. "Get in!" Sheik shouted and unlocked the doors. At the front door, Nabooru stood and waved her arms frantically, a look of sheer anger etched onto her face.

"Sheik!" She screamed.

"Hurry!" He hissed.

Rapidly, Link and I clambered into the back seats and shut the door behind us. Not even waiting for us to buckle up, Sheik stepped on the gas and gunned down the street. I glanced behind and saw Nabooru running down the walkway, shouting for us to come back. "Sheik, really?" Link groaned and shook his head. "Why couldn't you just clean up your mess? It wasn't that bad."

Sheik stared at him through the driver's mirror. "Put on your seatbelt and then we'll talk."

Link huffed and I chuckled, already buckled up. "There!" Link groaned. "Now explain."

Sheik turned right down another street. "The answer is simple Link: I was too lazy."

My jaw dropped and Link released a loud shout. Sheik chuckled and came to a stop, nearing the beginning of a populated intersection. "Link, I thought you would know better..." he laughed.

"And here I thought you would have grown up a bit." Link retorted, shaking his head. "You may look your age, but you still have the mind of a child." Sheik let out a whining sound, making me giggle under my breath. Feeling the courage surging inside of me, I was finally able to reply to Sheik's earlier chat about my clothes.

"It's the truth."

"Zelda!" He whined, though I could see the grin on his face. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"Not this time!" Link grinned and raised his hand. "High five."

Inside, my heart fluttered. "Yeah..." I swallowed and slapped his hand. "Not this time."

* * *

><p>The party was in full swing by the time we arrived. Cars lined the street and filled the driveway. Music was heard all the way from outside and few stood on the house's front porch and steps, smoking and drinking. When I climbed outside, I nearly fell over in shock. "What the heck?" I whispered, although Link heard me as if I had shouted it.<p>

Link patted my shoulder. "Your first one?"

I bit my lip. "How did you guess?"

He smiled and guided me forward. "These aren't my favourite things to do either."

"Then why are you here?"

I asked, walking by the smokers and drinkers. A few groaned and shouted, but we ignored them and just headed inside. "Sheik and Nabooru wanted to come." He shrugged his shoulders and unzipped his jacket. I followed but kept mine close. "Don't trust this place?" Link asked, noticing that I kept my jacket and scarf on me.

I nodded. "Most definitely."

"Smart lady." He replied.

Sheik pushed passed us, heading straight for the counter lined with food. "I'm starving!"

"You just ate at Saria's." Link reminded him with a dead-panned expression, making me laugh girlishly. I cut myself off at the last moment, though neither Link or Sheik seemed to notice how girly I sounded.

"Driving is hard work!"

"Sure it is..." Link said dryly and looked away. He rubbed the back of his neck and surveyed the room. Whether he knew it or not, I noticed the various girls looking his way, checking him out. A few glanced him up and down, and even some giggled, whispering to themselves. Uncomfortable, I shifted back and forth on the heels of Nabooru's black shoes. "Zelda, do you want to dance?" Link asked, his voice rising.

"Hmm?" My cheeks turned red and I glanced towards the ground. "A-Are you sure?"

"Yeah..." He grinned. My heart rate increased by a tenfold. "Let's go." He offered me his hand. Shyly, I reached forward and clasped mine with his. Together, we walked towards the main part of the living room that had been transformed into a dance area. The couches were pushed to the side and the track lights were dimmed. A large stereo on the left side played a popular song at maximum volume.

"This place is quite crowded." I noted as we weaved our way towards the crowd of intoxicated teens.

"They always are." Link answered, laughing.

"Ah." I replied and glanced towards the ground. We swayed to the music, both close to one another. If I took one-step closer, Link and I would be touching. My hands felt clammy and sweaty. Rapidly, I rubbed them on the skinny jeans and kept my gaze downcast.

"Zelda... are you okay?" He asked, moving closer.

My eyebrow shot up in surprise. "Y-yeah." My voice cracked. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. Link titled his head to the side causing his short blond hair to sway.

"Want to get some air?" He suggested. Before I could respond, another voice almost screamed out his name

"Link!"

"Crap." he whispered.

"Huh?" I turned around and watched, seeing a girl with short blue hair, blue eyes, wearing a blue outfit heading straight for us. Upon closer inspection, my face turned red. Whether it was because of her lack of clothing or the style of it, I did not know, but what I did know, was that I, too, felt embarrassed to be just staring at her. Therefore, I inched closer to Link.

"Link!" She waved and dashed our way.

"R-Ruto..." he cringed and tried to look away.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" She gushed and tried to reach for his hands.

Luckily, Link backed away just in time. Inwardly, I smiled. "Sorry about that… I just got here." He confessed nervously, though truthfully, looking anywhere but forward.

Ruto frowned, barely noticing more before her eyes sparkled more than the dance lights tearing into my eyes and skin. "Link, do you want to dance?" She winked.

Incisively, Link raised his hands into the air and waved them frantically. "I can't, sorry. I'm busy dancing with Zelda." It was then that she noticed me.

"Hmm, so you're Zelda, huh?" She surveyed me from head to toe causing me to shudder. "Ilia told me about you before..." She explained and extended a hand forward, smiling cosmetically as she failed to attempt to act civil with me. "I'm Ruto."

"N-Nice to meet you." I nodded. We shook hands. Ruto's grin widened and I felt a bit of pressure applied to the handshake. I cringed and withdrew my hand quickly, laughing nervously.

"So." She started to sway her hips to another popular song. "Are you two here together?"

Link and I exchanged around round of similar glances. "Well," he began, tugging at his collar. "See—"

"Yes. We are." I interrupted him and reached for his hand, holding him close to me as my heart pounded in my ears. "We are." His eyes widened and he shot me a surprised look. I smiled nervously and clutched his hand tighter. Ruto's eyes almost looked like that they were about to pop out of her head, and I found a strange sense of satisfaction in this. I never thought that I would say words like that before, though I chose the right man to say them about.

"It's true." Link answered his voice rough. I inched closer towards him. "Sorry Ruto."

Ruto crossed her arms over her chest, and was about to let the subject drop before she stuttered out: "I-If you two really are dating... t-then I want proof."

"P-Proof?"

"That's right!" She insisted, grinning in a creepy way. "If you two actually are dating, then why don't you kiss or something?" Link and I stared in complete shock. "Kissing is nothing to be ashamed of." She grinned. "So if you two actually are together, it should be fine, right?" She leaned in closer.

"Ruto, we don't have to show you anything." Link answered, irritation laced in his tone.

"That proves that you're lying!" She shouted, though she was clearly loving talking to Link for more than ten seconds; even if he was angry with her. Suddenly, like magic, the music ceased. Link, Ruto, and I glanced around, noticing how everyone on the dance floor was watching us. I gulped and Link groaned. "Go on." Ruto insisted. "Just kiss and get it over with. You're causing a scene, both of you."

"It's not us who's causing the scene..." Link gritted his teeth.

I looked away. "Link." I mumbled, feeling flustered. Link placed his hands onto my shoulders, and time itself seemed to slow down as I looked deep into his eyes. Ruto's words seemed to flow away from my consciousness as he shifted his body closer to me. In reality, I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but right now I could just see myself and Link – especially with how close we were.

"Just ignore her Zelda..." He murmured softly and then took my cheek into his palm before leaning down and kissed me.


	13. Edited: A Wonderful Finish

**Chapter Twelve: **A Wonderful Finish

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesomely fantastic beta, RandomButLoved, for editing the chapter. I ADORE the little changes you've made to make this chapter sparkle even more. If anyone has time, please, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

* * *

><p>Link withdrew and pulled me close towards him. I sighed in contentment and rested my head against his shoulder, relaxed and in a daze. Beside us, I heard Ruto gape, but none of that bothered me. I was too busy recovering from that sudden burst of heaven. "Euphoria..." I whispered to myself, completely overjoyed. Link chuckled and pulled me closer, his head leaning against my shoulder.<p>

"I... I don't believe this!" Ruto seethed and stomped away, unable to cope with staying near us any longer.

I shut my eyes and snuggled closer to Link. I could hear his heartbeat and it caused me to blush slightly. Link then whispered in my ear: "Thank you." Reluctantly I pulled away and was about to reply before he cut me off with a shake of his head. "Let's get out of here." He stated and started to lead me off the dance floor. I stumbled my way behind him, noticing the looks of anger girls shot me, and looks of surprise others cast our way. "Sheik, can I borrow your keys?" Link asked.

Sheik looked up, a mouthful of food in his mouth. "Huh?" He swallowed his food and added after: "Sure, but why."

"No reason." Link said with a shrug. "We just want to go."

"But we just got here!"

Link rolled his eyes. "You and Nabooru can have a good time. Zelda and I just want to go somewhere else."

"Fine, fine!" Sheik reached inside his back pocket and handed Link his keys. "Just drop the car off at my house tomorrow or something else, okay?"

"No problem." Link grinned. "We just need to find our coats and we'll be good."

"Ah, I can help with that!" Sheik laughed and disappeared for a moment. I titled my head to the side and watched as he returned, managing to carry his plate full of food in one hand, and both my coat, scarf and Link's in the other. "You both dropped these before and I grabbed them." He explained simply.

"Thank you, Sheik." I smiled and slid on my jacket. He said nothing in response, or whatever he was going to say was completely cut off by Link stepping towards me and aiding me in wrapping my scarf around my neck.

"Here, let me help."

"L-Link, thank you…"

"No problem." He smiled and reached for my hand. I bit on my bottom lip and looked away, once again feeling flustered. Link laughed and then leaned over, kissing my cheek. The tips of my ears turned bright red.

Sheik watched us, equally confused. "What the heck?" He whispered to himself. Link mouthed something to Sheik in reply, yet I couldn't decipher it. Sheik nodded, still stumped. "Okay then..." He scratched the back of his head. "Safe... safe driving."

"See you later." I leaned my head against Link's shoulder and together, we walked towards the door. Once outside, we once again stepped over the drinkers and smokers, heading for Sheik's car.

"After you." Link insisted and opened the door for me.

My mouth opened, but I got inside nonetheless. "T-Thank you." I slid inside and Link shut the door. While he walked towards the driver's seat, I noticed two people watching from the window. They were none other than Ruto and Ilia. "Oh crap..." I hissed and looked away. Link looked up after buckling his seat belt, silently asking me what was wrong. I pursed my lips together. "…Those two are watching us."

Link groaned, holding the steering wheel tightly as he turned his gaze away from them. "Ilia and Ruto. Goddesses, why can't they just leave us _alone_?" I shrugged my shoulders. "In any case." Link insisted. "Let's just get out of here. How about we head somewhere nice?" He started the car. "You have any suggestions."

I thought over the idea for a moment. "How about we go and get… hot chocolate?" I suggested.

Link eyed my clothing. "Can you manage to walk in those shoes all the way through the park?"

I frowned. "I never thought of that."

Link drove down the street, heading further and further away from the house. "Instead of getting hot chocolate from the vendor, would you like to get hot chocolate from somewhere else?"

I furrowed my brows together. "Do you mean a café?"

Link shook his head, grinning. "Not exactly."

* * *

><p>Link pulled up into a random driveway. I glanced out the window and saw a beautifully built two-story brick home. "This is my house." Link explained and shut off the car. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought it would be nice to come here." I shrugged it off as I unbuckled my seatbelt, internally squealing still. "Be warned though." Link said as we both got out of the car. "My mom and little sister are home."<p>

"What's there to be warned about?" I asked, confused.

Link toyed with his jacket's zipper. "You'll see." Unsure of what to say, I followed Link up the walkway and towards the house. Link reached inside his pocket and pulled out a key, inserting it into the lock. With a twist of the wrist, he reached for the handle and walked inside.

"Link, is that you?" Someone called.

"Yeah, Mom. It's me." He answered and shut the door. "I decided to come home early."

"Well, isn't that nice!" She called from the kitchen.

"Here, I'll take your coat." Link said, an empty hanger dangling in his hand.

I nodded and unzipped the jacket. He helped me slide it off, and slid the coat over the hanger. "Link, Link, Link!" Another person shouted. I watched, amused, as a little girl who looked to be no more than eight, ran down the stairs heading straight for Link. She had Link's hair colour and eyes. "Welcome home!" She extended her arms out wide.

"What a greeting!" He laughed and bent down, scooping her up into a tight hug. She giggled and squirmed, trying to inch her way out of the embrace. As I removed my scarf and heels, I found myself sighing at the sight. Link looked so cute standing there.

"Who are you?" That snapped me out of my daze. Looking down, I noticed that his younger sister was staring at me. "Are you a friend of Link's?" She asked sweetly.

I walked forward. "I hope I am."

I grinned and ruffled her hair. Link playfully rolled his eyes and set Aryll down. "Of course you're my friend, Zelda."

"Your name is Zelda?" She questioned. I bent down to reach her height. For an eight year old, she was still quite short.

"Uh-huh." I replied. "My name is Zelda. What is yours?"

"Aryll!" she cried and extended her arms out again. Suppressing the urge to giggle, I merely smiled wide.

"You're too cute!" I whispered, making her laugh as well as Link. "Can I give you a hug?"

Aryll titled her head to the side and looked towards Link. "It's your choice Ary." he said and unzipped his own jacket. Aryll pursed her lips together, looking to be deep in thought. For a little girl, it just made her seem even cuter. My urge to hug her was growing by the second.

"Well?" I clasped my hands together, begging. "What do you say?"

"Yeah!" she launched herself forward causing me to fall on my rear.

Link smirked and shook his head. "Ary..." He chastised.

Aryll ignored him. "Zellie!" She leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Aww." I breathed and hugged her close before mouthing to Link: "I love her."

Sheepishly, Link rubbed the back of his neck. "She has that effect on people..." He agreed. I knew how much he loved Aryll even from his reaction to all of this, and it warmed my heart. I can't even remember how I prayed to the Goddesses for a sister and brother, learning in the future that it would never happen until Mother found a man.

"My, my, who do we have here?"

"Mom..." Link tensed, looking somewhat embarrassed.

I looked away from Aryll and saw an older woman standing not too far from us. Instantly, I released my hold on Aryll and stood up, dusting myself off. I could feel her gaze on me, which caused my cheeks to turn a shade of pink. "Link, you never told me that you were inviting company over!" She spoke and walked forward. "If I did, I would have made you all something to eat."

"Mom… this is Zelda." Link introduced me.

Offering a faint smile, I extended a hand forward. "It is quite nice to meet you, Mrs. Gaiden." Mrs. Gaiden was a tall and slim woman with a short blond hair and dark green eyes.

"It is very nice to meet you too, Zelda." She replied and shook my hand. "This is the first time I've heard anything about you. I'm sorry if that sounded rude."

"It's quite alright." I chided. "I-I understand." I glanced down towards the ground and studied my bare feet. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

Mrs. Gaiden's gaze softened. "Far from Zelda, we weren't doing much to begin with."

"Mom, Zelda and I are going to make some hot chocolate." Link explained and reached for my hand, leading me further into the house. "Is that all right?"

"Link, please wait a moment," she announced. Both of us stopped and waited. The sound of the closet door opening was heard and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mrs. Gaiden bending down to retrieve something. _What could be looking for?_ I wondered, curious. "Ah, here we are." She stood up and shut the closet door. "Zelda, the floor in the kitchen is quite cold. You don't have any socks on, so I wouldn't want your feet to get cold. Here, you can wear these."

She placed a pair of red slippers onto the ground. The slippers were fuzzy and had flowers printed on the top. "T-Thank you..." I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed, and slid my feet into the slippers. They fit perfectly and were quite comfortable.

"It's no trouble." Mrs. Gaiden said. "If you two need any help with anything, just give me a call. I'll be downstairs with Aryll." She bent down and scooped up Aryll into her arMrs. Aryll protested and shouted, waving her arms as she yelled Link's name.

"Link! I wanna help too!"

"You can help later, Aryll." Mrs. Gaiden spoke, heading down the bottom flight of stairs. "Right now though, I need your help in cleaning up a mess you made downstairs."

Aryll pouted, looking quite annoyed. I titled my head to the side and waved. Aryll's frown worsened. Link chuckled and shook his head again. "Come on." he said and continued to lead me forward. We passed by a formal dinner room and the living room before entering the kitchen. "The hot chocolate mix should be in the pantry." he said and released his hold on my hand. "Zelda, can you grab two cups from the drawer beside you?"

"Um, sure…" I walked forward and opened the higher drawer. Nothing but plates and dishes were seen. I shut the drawer and tried another. "Ha ha!" I laughed and grabbed two large cups. "Found them."

"Nice." Link shut the pantry, carrying a small box with a matching lid. "Mom keeps the powder inside here." he stated, seeing my look of confusion.

"I understand. Everyone does their own thing." I shrugged.

"Exactly!" He grinned broadly. Together, we made the hot chocolate. Link and I worked together, chatting and having fun. Within minutes, the drink was finished and ready. "How about some cookies?" He suggested. I grinned, and that was all that he needed. Link set his cup onto the counter and headed back towards the pantry, withdrawing a small transparent box filled with cookies. "Mom and Ary baked these a few days ago. They might be a bit hard by now, but they're still good when dunked in hot chocolate."

I licked my lips. "Sounds great!"

"Let's sit down." Picking up my cup and Link's, we headed towards the kitchen table and sat down. Link popped the box's lid open and placed the lid on the table. "Take your pick!" He announced playfully. Grinning, I leaned over and snatched two cookies. Bringing one up to my mouth, I took a quick bite. It tasted wonderful.

"_Link, these are great~!_" I sang, hungrily eating the cookies as if my life merely depended on it.

"Ary will be so pleased." He murmured and sipped his hot chocolate. It was then quiet between us. I ate my other cookie and Link continued to sip his hot chocolate. Normally, these sorts of silences would have agitated me by now. Nevertheless, with Link, it just felt natural.

I sighed and leaned back into the chair. "What time is it?" I asked, a few minutes later. Link checked his watch.

"A little after nine."

My eyes widened in shock. Mother had no idea... "I-I should be heading back home...!"

Link frowned. "Your Mom expecting you home?"

My cheeks tinted pink. "She, um, believes that I'm at home as we speak." I chuckled nervously. Link raised a brow. I sunk back into the seat. "Mother doesn't know about the party or anything." I whispered. "Right now, she's busy at work with a conference or something. Anyhow..." I fiddled with my sweaty palMrs. "When mother left the house, she believed that I would be at home the entire time."

"Zelda!" He groaned.

This time I frowned. "Link, I know that's bad… but Sheik talked me into it." His brow reached so high up on his forehead that it disappeared underneath his hair. I licked my lips. "Let me explain from the start." Beginning with my "low" chemistry mark to the part with Sheik becoming my tutor and forcing me to attend the party, I told Link everything. "And that's it." I heaved a sigh.

"We better get you back home then." Link concluded and stood up.

"Link?" I blinked. "You're not… mad?"

"What's there to be mad about?" He reached for both of empty cups and headed towards the sink. "You didn't do anything bad. You're just a regular teen who ended up having a fun evening. It's nothing to be ashamed or mad of."

"Are you serious?" I repeated, flabbergasted.

"Zelda..." He rolled his eyes. "You did nothing bad. We just need to get you home soon." Quickly, he rinsed the cups while I closed the lid on the cookies and put them back in the pantry. "Ready to go?" He asked. I nodded subtly. "Great." Quietly, we walked back towards the foyer and slipped on our jackets. I deposited the slippers Mrs. Gaiden had given to me onto the side and put Nabooru's high heels back on. "Your scarf!" Link exclaimed and handed it to me.

"Why thank you." I winked and wrapped it around my neck.

"Mom, I'll be back soon. I'm just driving Zelda home!" Link called and then unlocked the door.

"Drive safely!" She shouted from downstairs.

"I will." Link let me walk outside first and then he shut the door. Hands in his pockets, he searched for the keys and unlocked the car.

* * *

><p>"Bye, bye!" I waved, standing on my front porch. Link stood by Sheik's car, which was parked on the road. "I had a great time."<p>

"Same here!" He replied and waved. "See you later." I watched him climb back into the car and shut the door. When the car started and he began to drive down the street, I waited until I could no longer see him. Then, I walked inside and shut the door behind me. Slipping off Nabooru's shoes and my jacket, I hung up the coat and scarf.

Grabbing the heels by the armload, I ran up the stairs, praying that mother wouldn't be home yet. I tiptoed down the hallway and saw that neither her bedroom light was on or her study. "Phew." I wiped my brow. I was safe for now. "Just need to change my clothes and wash off this make-up..." I whispered. "And then I'll be home free." As I walked inside my bedroom, I shut the door and locked it. I didn't want to take any chances. Reaching for my pyjamas, I grabbed them and headed to the bathroom.

_Tonight was fun,_ I grinned and studied my reflection in the mirror._ Though it sucked to meet Ruto, I did end up having a wonderful evening because of that interaction._ Shyly, I touched my lips. And I had my first kiss because of it too; I thought and rubbed the back of my neck. My cheeks felt red. Beads of sweat formed behind my head. _I better wash this stuff off._

I decided and tried my best to push the thoughts of kissing Link to the back of my mind. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, the thought wouldn't fully dissipate. It was like Romeo and Juliet, just without the tragedy of modern day society...


	14. Edited: Feminine Bonding

**Chapter Thirteen:** Feminine Bonding

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesomely fantastic beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I ADORE the little changes you've made to make this chapter sparkle even more. If anyone has time, please, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

* * *

><p>I walked down the hallway and kept my gaze firmly on the ground. Around me, people whispered and gossiped, their voices resonating down the long and bright corridor. Really, I bit my lip. Don't they have anything better to do than gossip about me? I was no fool. Did they not know that? I knew when the rumours started circulating during first period and assumed they would only increase as the day progressed. By now, it was lunchtime and my hunch was correct: it had gotten worse.<p>

Farore, Nayru, and Din, how did my life come to this?

I quietly fiddled with my padlock, desperate to blend in and out of the sight of my peers. It was lunch and I didn't feel comfortable eating in the cafeteria any more. All morning long, people kept staring and whispering behind my back. Whenever I turned around and stared, they kept quiet, but glared my way; the girls especially. For reasons unknown, it seemed as though I was quickly becoming enemy number one.

My cell phone vibrated inside my pocket. I kept twisting my padlock, ignoring my phone while attempting to open the locker. I could look at the phone later, right now what I really wanted was lunch right now. The padlock clicked, causing a grin to escape me. It was unlocked. Opening the locker, my jaw dropped as piles worth of small pieces of paper flew down from my locker, swallowing up the floor. From the top shelf all the way to the bottom, notes fell, resembling a flowing waterfall made of paper.

Stunned, I bent down, noticing a few papers still lingering inside the locker. I plucked a few and stood up, unravelling them.

_'You little slut.'_

_'Whore.'_

_'Bitch.'_

Each paper was lined with similar words. By the time I reached the last one, I could not be bothered to read any longer. Shakily, I sucked in a breath. What was happening to me? What did I do for the Goddesses to despise me so much? My cell phone vibrated again, snapping me from my thoughts. Gaze locked on the notes, I reached for the phone and brought it up to my ear. "H-Hello?" I stuttered.

"Zelda? It's me, Saria."

_Thank goodness._ I heaved a sigh, my shoulders dramatically slumping forwards. Thankfully, she didn't seemed to notice.

"Zelda, I need to talk to you about something." She said cautiously, as if others were around her. "It's about what happened at the party."

I shut my eyes. "Let me guess: people know what happened?" She breathed out a light laugh, as if I had put it lightly, and I already knew her answer. "Great." I groaned. "Could this get any worse?"

"Worse?" She queried with concern. "What do you mean?"

"C-Can I explain later?" I whispered, noticing how the hallway had become far quieter than its usual hectic self.

"Of course you can. How about we continue this conversation after school?"

Well dance class was cancelled for the evening and Mother was still busy with her work. If I called her and said I would be staying late at school to study, I would be guaranteed a good hour and a half to chat everything over with Saria. "Sounds perfect." I said finally, praising the Sisters for allowing me this time, even if it was only for a short time.

"I'll meet you one block from your school." Saria said, snapping me out of my daze of clouded thoughts. "On that cute little court street not too far. You know where that is, right?"

I smiled at the tone of her voice when it came to the directions. "Yes, I do."

"Wonderful. See you after school then, Zelda." I shut the phone and gazed down. The amounts of papers covered the entire ground and my shoes. Before administration would see this, I knew I had to clean it up. I heaved a sigh and unzipped my backpack. Stuffing a few notes into my bag for later, I commenced the much-needed cleaning process that awaited me on the floor. My thoughts buzzed with the idea of getting my worries out in the open, though I realised that I had to battle through the war of the day first.

I sighed. That was going to be tough…

* * *

><p>The day ticked by too slow for my liking. Every chance I got, I was watching the clock; waiting for the day to end. When that bell finally rang, it sounded like church bells chiming from high above. Muttering a quick farewell to my teacher, I dashed out of my seat and bolted out the door. People hustled and bustled through the hallways, louder than before. School was over for the day and that meant people were excited to hang out and spend time with their friends.<p>

Sadly, though, none of that excitement diminished their savage urges to gossip and spread more lies…

I twisted and turned the padlock of my locker as I easily dropped my bag to the floor. Luckily, I had no assigned work tonight, which meant I could arrive home a little bit later. Before lunch ended, I phoned Mother and told her I would be staying at school late, studying for my upcoming English test that is two weeks away. However, Mother didn't need to know that little bit, so I refrained from telling her that tiny detail.

I chuckled at the thought, throwing my books inside my locker. Sliding on my jacket and putting my lunchbox into my bag, I shut the locker with a slam and zipped up my bag. Almost bolting up my locker, I stuck my hands in my pockets and headed past the others as I proceeded down the hallway. "Hey, Winters, come over here!" One guy suddenly shouted, catching my attention.

Confused, I turned around and saw a group of guys watching me. My eyes narrowed and I quickened my pace. They shouted for me to return, but I merely ignored them. I had more important things to worry about, like meeting up with Saria, therefore I couldn't let my mind fall to such matters. Minutes passed as I walked away from the school, heading further and further down the street.

Soon enough, the court was in sight and I smiled, quickening my pace. A green car slowly backed up into someone's driveway and headed in my direction. I studied the driver and waved afterwards. It was Saria. She unlocked the doors and rolled down the window. "Zelda, get in." She instructed. I mock saluted and reached for the handle, climbing inside. Saria locked the doors and waited for me to buckle my seatbelt. "Tough day, huh?" She inquired, both hands on the wheel.

I wiped my brow. "You have no idea…"

"Tell me about it." She laughed and came to a stop at the lights, casually holding her hands over the wheel. "At our school, we've been dealing with quite a bit of problems too." My silence was the only thing needed for her to expand on her previous statement. "I'll tell you when we arrive at the café." She soon added before turning left.

"Café? We're heading to a café?" I breathed quietly, although loud enough to make Saria giggle at my response.

"Yes, we are." She agreed with a curt nod, chatting as she turned her attention back onto the task at hand: the road. "I think you've been there with Link before, haven't you? A nice girl named Malon works there."

"Malon?" A flash of the young red haired waitress came to mind. She was quite nice and always served others with a smile. I grinned at the reminder, clasping my hands together in my lap as I looked out upon the city surrounding us; the others cars buzzing around us without a care in the world whatsoever. "Yes." I say quietly, smiling softly. "I know who you're talking about."

"Wonderful!" Saria almost cheered as as she approached the main intersection and turned left."Then it won't be awkward at all!" As she returned to her driving, I continue to stare out the window, watching as other cars pulled forward and behind Saria.

"Saria, we won't be out too long. Will we?" I fiddled with my thumbs.

Saria shrugged her shoulders and stepped on the gas. "It shouldn't be more than an hour and a half at most. I need to get home in about two hours or so. That your excuse too?"

My cheeks tinted pink as she giggled. "I need to begin studying for my test next week." There was no point in telling her that my test was another two weeks away. Although I've known Saria for a while, I still don't feel one hundred percent comfortable around the girl. She's a nice girl and all, but I suppose it'll just take time for things to develop between us – an intimate friendship or so, I guess you could say.

"That's cool." She responded, as if she had the same thing in common with me. As if on cue, she then proceeded to add: "I have a Biology test next week too. What about you?"

"English." I said and as I looked away from the window and leaned back into my seat, stretching a little.

She laughed lightly. "At least English is fun to study." She pulled into the café's parking lot and searched for a vacant spot. Her eyes scanned the parking lot, and she still had time to as: "Is it on a novel you're reading or just definitions and stuff?" I sighed lightly as I looked around with her too, searching for a space in order to finally stop.

"The test is supposed to be a mixture of both." I watched Saria turn off the car and then unbuckled my seatbelt when I saw the spot too. "My teacher is going to be testing us on the few chapters we've read, and the various words he's highlighted that are of key importance." She nodded in agreement, and we both climbed out of the car; heading inside the restaurant eagerly. The warm and cozy atmosphere made me feel a little bit more comfortable. Plus, there were few people inside.

"Let's get a table further in the back." Saria advised. I nodded without word and began falling into step with her as we set our eyes onto the table ahead of us, only to be halted completely by a sweet voice sourcing from behind us.

"Saria and Zelda, is that you?" We both turned around to see Malon carrying a small box filled with cutlery and plates. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to talk about something important." Saria said, rubbing her temples tensely. "It's sort of becoming a... difficult problem to manage."

"Maybe I can help." Malon offered. "My break starts in five. Where are you two sitting?" I gestured towards the table behind us, making her agree without word before saying: "I'll find you two there then." She nodded again and headed towards the kitchen. Saria waved and ushered for me to follow her. Quietly, we headed towards the back of the café and settled ourselves into a comfortable booth.

"So, Zelda... how did your day go?" Saria asked, sitting across from me.

I groaned out my sole response of: "Long..."

Saria chuckled. "Over the phone you sounded quite distressed. Did something happen?"

My face paled and I reached for my bag. Saria watched me unzip the front compartment and pull out a few pieces of crumbled paper. I handed them to her with a straight face. "Read them." I commanded. Saria unfolded the first note, then the second. Though small, the notes were clear and to the point. By the end of the last note, Saria hadn't even bothered to finish reading them all.

"Where did you get these?" She asked, waving them back and forth like a fan.

I shrugged. "Girls stuffed them into my locker."

"There were more?" Her tone elevated by several octaves as she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Recycle bins full..." I rebutted.

Saria's eyes widened. "And here I thought at my school they were bad." She shook her head and afterwards, she rubbed her temples again. I leaned up in alarm, begging to understand what she had meant by her statement. Saria flushed a shade of pink. "In my classes, quite a few girls were passing around notes while the teachers weren't watching. At the end of the period, they tossed the notes into the garbage cans. I managed to get grab a few that weren't completely ruined." She reached for something inside her pocket. A minute later, she deposited four or five pieces of paper onto the table. "Read them if you want."

Hesitantly, I reached for the first note. Fingers trembling, I unfolded it.

_'Can you believe it, Link is taken?!'_ There was a different style of writing printed below the first. It looked like the two were having a conversation.

_'Seriously?! How, When, Where did this happen?!'_

_'Apparently, he hooked up with some girl from another school. Ruto and plenty of other people saw them kissing right on the dance floor.'_

_'No!'_

_'Yes!'_

My lips parted in pure shock. _'So then… what's going to happen?'_

_'Isn't the answer obvious? Ilia and Ruto won't let that girl get off scot-free. She's going to pay!'_

"Pay?" I mouthed. Suddenly, the air felt tense. Shivers ran down my spine. I pushed the note away and reached for the others. Just like the first, the others were highly similar. They stated the facts and mentioned Ilia and Ruto's names multiple times. I bit my lip. "Oh Farore…" I breathed softly. "Oh Nayru, oh Din..."

Saria pursed hers together, crossing her arms. "Harsh, aren't they?"

Leaning back, I rubbed my throbbing temples. "That… is an understatement."

"What did I miss?" Malon asked, popping out of nowhere. Startled, I leaned back and nearly fell out of the booth. Saria remained calm and scooted over, allowing Malon to sit down.

"Not much." She answered, watching as I barely overcame my sudden heart attack of surprise. "Zelda and I were just comparing notes."

"Literally..." I added on.

"You mean these notes?" Malon pointed towards the few that filled the tabletop.

"Those would be them." Saria nodded dutifully.

Malon looked dubious. "Can I read them?"

Beads of sweat formed behind my head. "I-If you want." I looked away and fiddled with my school blouse. Saria, on the other hand, watched Malon read the notes. Within no less than a minute, she had finished examining all of them and was staring towards me. A sweat drop formed behind the back of my head. I coughed and glanced down towards my lap. "Well, um... what do you think?" I asked.

Malon struggled to formulate a reply. "Those notes certainly… are something."

"Don't we know it?" Saria pitched glumly.

Malon frowned deeply, looking me straight in the eyes. "Zelda, you were here with Link a little while ago, weren't you?"

"That's right. It was... a-about a week ago, I believe."

"Both of you looked quite tense that evening." She reflected calmly. "Did something happen before then?" I chuckled nervously. Saria and Malon exchanged knowing glances. "Zelda, if you don't mind: spill." She slapped both hands onto the table.

My face felt flushed. "H-How much time do you have?"

"Enough." She answered with a light shrug.

I glanced towards my lap again and exhaled a loud sigh. _I can trust these girls,_ I reminded myself. _Saria is nice and sweet. Malon is kind and considerate. I know I can trust them._

"Okay." I squirmed. "I-It all started one snowy evening…" It took a while, but when I finished, I was greeted with wide eyes. "And that's it." I finished, staring down towards the tabletop.

Malon blinked, stunned. Saria looked surprised, too. Neither one said a word for a few minutes. Inside, it made me feel apprehensive about telling them it all. Nervously, I started to squirm. "Zelda, there's something I need to ask you." Malon finally said.

Relieved, I looked her way. "Yes Malon?"

She crossed her arms. "Do you know about Link's fan club?"

I nearly fell off of my chair in shock, my mouth dropping open. "F-fan club?"

Saria nodded, looking quite embarrassed. "That's right, Zelda. Link does have his own fan club."

"Though I've already graduated from their high school." Malon began. "When I was a junior and Link was just a freshman, most of the girls, seniors included,started to… crush on him." My eyebrows shot up, nearly touching my hairline. "The girls of all grades fought over him." She continued. "And as time went by, that fighting only became worse. "It wasn't until the end of my senior year, when the girls grouped together and finally decided to found a fan club."

"Are you serious?" I hissed.

Both girls nodded, looking equally serious. "Zelda, can you guess who the founders are?" Saria questioned.

I moved around in my seat, stammering bashfully: "I-Ilia and Ruto?"

"Bingo." Malon winked playfully.

I nearly banged my head against the table. "Oh Farore..." I moaned. "Oh Nayru, oh Din..."

Saria leaned over and patted my head. "Zelda, don't be so worried about this. You have Malon, me, Nabooru and Sheik on your side. Not to mention Link."

"But none of you attend my school..." I moaned sadly.

"I know a few seniors at your school, Zelda." Malon smiled cheerfully. "You attend Nayru preparatory, correct?" Glumly, I nodded. "The girls I'm friends with there don't feel so… attached to Link as the other girls at your school and Saria's do. At most, they find him cute. But that's it." Malon shuddered. "It's not like they'd bombard you with those notes or anything."

"That's nice." I sighed.

"I can mention to them what's happening. But then again, I'm sure they already know." She rubbed the back of her neck. "In any case, if you met them, I'm sure you would like them."

"W-What are their names?" I stuttered, somewhat curious. If these girls were friends with Malon, surely they couldn't be that bad.

"Well, there's Navi, Ashei and Hena. They're really nice." Those names sounded familiar. I rubbed my chin and thought it over. Malon noticed my expression and grinned. "You might recognize them. Navi's quite known for her... loud-mouth attitude, Ashei is the more serious one, and Hena… well, Hena loves to fish." Malon chuckled nervously. Saria and I exchanged amused glances. "In any case though, they're all quite nice. If you want, I can phone them later on tonight and tell them about you and your little predicament. I'm sure they would be able to help."

"I-I would like that very much." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Thank you, Malon."

She smiled. "It's no problem."

"Well, enough about this for a while..." Saria stretched her arms forward. "Why don't we do something nice before we each head home?" I raise a brow at her in silent questioning. She glanced around the café. "Why don't we order something to eat?" I giggled and Malon smiled, getting up from the booth. She reached inside her back pocket and pulled out a small notebook.

"What would each of you like?"

Saria titled her head to the side. "I'll have a blueberry muffin and tea."

Malon scribbled that down. "And for Zelda?"

"I'll just have some tea, please..." I stammered.

Malon sighed. "You're getting more than that." And she walked off, calling back one last thing before leaving. "I'll bring your orders out in a few minutes."

"M-Malon, wait!" I called. She stopped and turned around. "About that… I, um, well…"

"Don't worry about the cost." She winked. "You're having a hard day. This is on the house." Before I could protest anymore, she walked inside the kitchen, disappearing from view.

* * *

><p>After we had finished our food and parted ways with Malon, Saria drove me home. Again, she told me not to worry too much about the situation and try to remain calm. Right now, I sat at my desk; my books open and phone off to the side. Malon had been kind enough to give me her phone number, and told me that if I ever needed to talk, she would be there for me.<p>

My eyes scanned over my neatly printed notes of the chapter summaries that I had made a week ago. This was the fourth time I was going over them, and by now, I was getting annoyed. Mother still wasn't at home, and I was by myself. I needed something to distract me from my homework, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I looked up my notebook and pushed my chair over, reaching for the phone. I flipped open the lid and saw that Link had sent me a text.

_How you doing?_

I grinned. _Bored, and you?_

A minute later, he responded. _Fine… Why are you bored?_

I cast a glance towards my notes._ Studying,_ I typed.

_Ouch, that sucks. For what?_

I giggled and typed out: _English._

It took a few minutes for his reply. I bit my lip and waited anxiously. I_f you're almost done studying, would you like to talk for a few minutes?_ I suppressed a scream. Breathing in and out, I tried to maintain some form of composure.

_Sure. I would like that._

_I'm going to call you then._ I shut my phone and headed towards the bed, wanting to lie down.

This would be a wonderful break.


	15. Edited: New Acquaintances

**Chapter Fourteen:** New Acquaintances

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesomely fantastic beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I ADORE the little changes you've made to make this chapter sparkle even more. If anyone has time, please, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

* * *

><p>Dance ended with a curtsy and the music stopped. All of us stood before our teacher and waited until she dismissed us. "You may leave now." She said and turned her attention towards one of the other teachers. One by one, members of my dance class exited from the pristine white room. I waited until Ilia had walked out before leaving.<p>

When entering the hallway, mother approached me, her cell phone in hand. "Zelda... I just spoke with your Chemistry tutor. Upon learning of the success of your first session with him, I decided to schedule another session with him for this evening."

My mouth dropped open, although I managed to save it before it became too apparent to her. "Mother, I thought we had already decided the dates when I would have my tutoring classes." I reminded her. Mother slipped her phone into her pocket.

"While that is true Zelda, I want you to fully utilise these sessions to their maximum potential. Do you understand the reason behind this?" I swallowed a sigh and nodded weakly, giving her what she wanted; as usual. Mother smiled meekly. "Wonderful. Now go get changed and afterwards, we will head home. Your tutor will be there in thirty minutes."

Walking into the change rooms, I wanted no more than to slam the door shut and scream my lungs out. Mother's sudden pressure on the course, this course in particular, was beginning to drive me up the wall. Soon enough, I felt as though I might explode, since right now, it always seemed as though it were Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemistry.

I slid off my dance shoes and deposited them into my smaller carrying case. The entire change room was full with girls from my class and other classes that had just finished. Somewhere to the side, I knew Ilia was changing as well. That notion made me slide on my pants and jacket quicker than usual. Stalking out the change room, I met up with mother, who was waiting by the front door.

"I am ready."

* * *

><p><em>Someone looks angry,<em> was written on a fresh page of paper. I looked towards the side and saw Sheik raise his eyebrows suggestively. I bit my bottom lip and mouthed: "You have no idea." We sat inside the dinning room, busy working on Chemistry. Just across the way, Mother sat in the kitchen, working on something. Knowing from experience that she had chosen to work in the kitchen for a reason, Sheik and I kept our conversations to a complete minimum.

Other then explaining the newest chapter to me, and answering any questions I had about the subject, we spoke no more. In some ways, it was nice and in others, it was bothersome. By now, I was more than sure that Sheik about what was transpiring within his school, and I wanted no more than to ask him about it. Yet with Mother right in the kitchen, I knew that idea was right out the window.

I bit on my bottom lip and tried to solve the problem Sheik had given me. From his explanations, I knew what to do, but that still didn't make it any easier. A bit of perspiration lined my inner brow. I wiped it away, and continually scribbled down what I believed to be the correct answer for the question. Sheik leaned over and watched me, making me feel a little bit apprehensive.

"You're on the right track." He murmured. "Keep going and you'll have it." I reached for the calculator and punched in a few numbers. Pleased with the result, I wrote them down on the paper and then passed it over to Sheik. He looked over the steps and smiled appreciatively. "Nice work." He congratulated me softly. "Everything's right."

Blushing a light shade of pink, I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled sheepishly. "Thank you."

Sheik reached for the stack of papers and effectively erased his earlier message. "Since you've grasped the following exercises so well already, I figured we would continue move on to the next unit." He cast an annoyed glance towards the kitchen. I wondered if Mother had put him up to that, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. "Zelda, when are you supposed to have your next unit test?" Sheik asked me.

I blinked and thought it over for a minute. "My teacher hasn't told us a specific date yet."

Sheik nodded accordingly. "Fair enough, but to prepare yourself for anything that might come up, I made you a practice test just in case." I watched him lean over, withdraw a blue folder from his bag and hand me a small package. "Inside there are two quizzes and one test. Don't worry," He adds when my face pales. "I included the answers. They're at the very back." He winked. I giggled under my breath. "In any case, I would like you to complete one quiz and give it back to me the next time I see you. I'll be asking you questions about the quiz, so don't think of cheating, even though I know you won't."

"Sheik, t-thank you very much." I clutched the package close towards me. "This is quite… this is very nice." I settled with saying.

Sheik grinned cockily. "No sweat." He whispered his voice low, his orbs casting to Mother now and again as he spoke, making sure every few seconds that her eager eyes weren't looking out way. "I just wanted to help in any way that I could..."

My eyebrows shot up, realising how much he had helped me during this tough time; in more ways than one. "You have helped me in more ways than you have imagined already." I said with a straight face. Sheik bit his bottom lip this time. I nodded. "For sure."

Sheik's grin widened, although Mother was looking our way now and he knew that we weren't going to get caught in the next few seconds if he didn't save us. "In any event..." He coughed, more for his nerves than anything else. "Back to the lesson on hand..." And just like that, we were once again focused on Chemistry, our short conversation gone like the wind.

An hour and a half passed by in a blur. One minute, it seemed like we had just begun, and the next minute I knew, I was walking Sheik to the door. Mother had excused herself before, saying she had to make an important phone call, and had then retreated upstairs to the study. "Finally..." Sheik breathed lowly, "Some peace." I smiled nervously. He looked towards me and grinned. "How you holding up, anyway?" He asked, sliding on his boots.

I rocked back and forth on the soles of my feet, shrugging lightly and trying not to make such a big fuss out of everything. "It hasn't been that bad." I admitted. He eyed me sternly. Beads of sweat formed behind my head. I sighed and looked away. "That's the truth!" I confessed.

Sheik scoffed and reached for his jacket, rolling his eyes. "If you say so." I scowled in his direction. "In any event, when you meeting up with anyone?" He asked quietly.

I shrugged. "I... i don't know."

Sheik sighed. "Nabooru really wants to talk with you. When she found about your chat with Saria the other day, she was _beyond_ pissed." Worriedly, I tensed up. Sheik noticed that and laughed. "It's nothing to be worried about. She was more disappointed than mad. I guess she wanted to be included too, that's all." He zipped up his coat. "Don't worry about it too much. Just... make it up to her somehow."

"In what way?"

Sheik shrugged. "Plan a day to just go out with her and talk. That way, she'll feel better."

I nodded. That sounded simple enough. "In any case, I need to get going." Sheik headed for the door. I unlocked it and watched him walk outside and onto the front porch. "Good luck with your mom." He laughed and began to descend the stairs. Sighing, I watched him walk to his car and slide in. He offered me one last wave before starting the car, and driving off.

* * *

><p>The days passed by without too many dilemmas, since school was normal and tiring. Though still mad, the girls glowered my way whenever they saw me, and still whispered occasionally. After the third day of having to deal with it, it no longer bothered me as much as it had. While the stares were troublesome,and I still found notes in my locker,it wasn't that bad. By now, I had learned to merely turn my head in the other direction or block out the insistent laughter with thoughts of schoolwork or other things far more trivial.<p>

Instead of spending my lunch times in the cafeteria or even the library, I started to spend them in Mr. Rusl's room, chatting with him. From time to time, I explained what was happening. Again, I made sure to cut out certain parts. However, for the most part, he knew what was happening. Through confining to him, I felt a little bit more reassured. It was nice having an adult to talk with about the situation. They offered a different perspective and made me feel better about what was happening.

Repeatedly, he told me that I should tell Mother about the situation, but I knew that was never possible. If mother ever found out I have been texting people and meeting up with them behind her back, she would be even worse than all girls in this school combined. The thought caused me to shudder. Right now, I was just about to head to Mr. Rusl's room, when someone called my name.

I turned around and saw a slender but built young girl heading my way. She had shoulder length black hair tied back into ponytails that fell just below her shoulder blades. One part of her forehead was covered with bangs and her lower eyelids were lined faint amount of pencil eyeliner. She wore the school uniform perfectly, and reminded me one of those girls I saw in the catalogues when Mother first ordered the uniforms for me back before my high school career began.

The girl stopped right before me and pressed one hand against someone's locker. "You're... Zelda, aren't you?" Glumly, I nodded. _Who is this girl?_ I wondered to myself. She smiled faintly. "I am Ashei, one of Malon's friends." She said and extended a hand forward.

My eyes widened. "Malon mentioned you a few days ago." I answered.

Ashei chuckled faintly. "Yes, that does sound familiar. A few evenings ago, she phoned me and explained your situation. When she told me, I knew that I wanted to help you." She placed one hand onto my shoulder. I watched her apprehensively. "What those girls are doing is not just!" I sighed. Finally, finally, I grinned joyfully, a _student_ at this school who felt the same way that I did about the situation.

Ashei continued. "I have never preferred most of the girls at this school, to be blunt. They are far too self-centered and vain for my liking." The more and more Ashei spoke, the more comfortable I felt around her. "In some ways, their shrieks and cries reminds me of dolphins." At the remark, I stifled a laugh. Ashei grinned and spoke, "But enough of that. Zelda, if you don't mind, would you like to join my friends and I for lunch?"

I pursed my lips together, suddenly feeling apprehensive. "U-Uh..."

"You have nothing to fear." Ashei advised. "It will only be I, Hena and Navi. Both of them are aware of your situation and want to meet you. Besides," she added on. "Navi won't quit talking about meeting you."

Beads of sweat formed behind the back of my head. "Malon did say she was… a loud mouth." I tugged at my blouse's collar.

Ashei chuckled faintly. "That is putting it lightly, Zelda. In any case, please follow me." I nodded in agreement, unsure of what to say. "Wonderful!" Exclaimed Ashei. Together we walked down the hallway, passing by Mr. Rusl's room. We turned down a few hallways and soon arrived to a classroom door. I watched as Ashei reached for the handle and walked in. I followed behind her and shut the door.

"Ugh! About time!" Someone shouted. "I was getting tired of waiting!"

Ashei sighed. "Excuse me, Navi. It took time trying to track Zelda down."

The girl, apparently named Navi, groaned in irritation. "Forget about that. So this is Zelda, huh?" She hopped down from the table and moved closer towards me. I watched and studied her. Navi had long blue tresses that fell just below her waistline. Her skin was a pale white with daring bright blue eyes. Part of me believed they were contacts, but that should not matter, she could wear whatever she wanted. Dangling from both ears was a matching set of long blue earrings. I chuckled nervously.

_Navi really seems to like blue,_ I decided.

She extended a hand forward. "Nice to meet you, Zelda. I'm Navi, and have wanted to meet you ever since Malon phoned me and told me about you."

I shook her hand and smiled nervously. "Um, t-thank you..." I mumbled.

"No problem!" She grinned, revealing a set of straight white teeth. Withdrawing my hand, I glanced around the room and saw one more girl sitting off to the side. I swallowed my nerves and decided to go and introduce myself to her.

"Hello." I stated. She looked up, her brown eyes locked on me. This must be Hena, I realized. Hena had tanned skin and ocean blue eyes. Similar to Ashei, she wore her hair tied back, but in two braids rather than ponytails. In her hands was a small book about fishing. Beads of sweat formed behind the back of my neck. Malon wasn't joking, I realised in semi-surprise.

Hena put down her book and stood up. "Nice to meet you." She extended a hand forward. "I'm Hena, and you're Zelda, right?"

I nodded. "Malon told you about me, right?" I gulped.

Hena grinned and crossed her arms. "That's right she did." Laughing nervously, I noticed Ashei and Navi moving closer towards us. Both of them were watching Hena and me, and it made me wonder whether I should continue to speak with Hena. I sucked on my bottom lip, debating the situation for a moment.

"In any event..." Ashei began. "Since we're all acquainted now, should we not begin eating?"

Navi clapped both hands together. "About time!" She repeated with a large huff. "I'm _starving_!"

Hena laughed loudly. "You're always hungry."

Navi stuck out her tongue. "Shut up, Hena."

Ashei sighed. "Zelda, if you develop a headache by the end of lunch on account of these two, I have some aspirin you may take."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her bluntness, as well as how sudden it actually was. "Oh, um... thank you." I stuttered.

"Ashei, stop making us sound like freaks!" Hena shouted her lunch box in hand.

Not surprisingly, the front cover was filled with deceptions of fish. "Hey," Ashei said, holding her hands up with mock guilt. She smirked at Hena, something that she was apparently known for doing "I only speak the truth!" Ashei reached inside her own bag. Hena groaned and Navi moved towards us carrying a small thermos and matching spoon. Deciding to take out my own lunch, I dropped my bag onto the ground and pulled out my lunchbox.

"So, Zelda." Navi began. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

I looked up in surprise. "Um, y-yes?"

She leaned in forward, smiling wide. "What was it like to kiss Link?" My jaw dropped and I nearly lost my grip on my lunchbox. Ashei looked our way and Hena coughed loudly.

"Navi!" She screamed.

"What?" She shrugged. "I just wanted to ask." Ashei rubbed her temples and Hena scowled deeply. Meanwhile, I looked away, unsure of how to respond. Better yet, I didn't want to respond. Though I could feel Navi's gaze on my backside and knew that she wanted an answer, I didn't feel comfortable answering. Rather, I turned my attention towards Ashei.

"Ashei, can I have an aspirin?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Annoyed already?" She smiled.

"I just want to be prepared… in case." I answered matter-of-factly.

"_Zelda!_" screamed Navi. Hena concealed her ears with both hands and Ashei reached inside her bag, pulling out a small white bottle. She tossed it to me with a grin and Hena watched, smirking. On the other hand, Navi looked annoyed; but was smiling lightly. So far, this lunch wasn't going as bad as I imagined it would. I simply prayed to the Golden Sisters that it would continue.

If Navi kept quiet, of course.


	16. Edited: Hectic Shopping

**Chapter Fifteen:** Hectic Shopping

**Author's Note: **Thank you to my awesomely fantastic beta, _RandomButLoved_, for editing the chapter. I ADORE the little changes you've made to make this chapter sparkle even more. If anyone has time, please, please check out her work! Her stories are simply divine. :)

* * *

><p>Phone in hand, I stared at the screen, debating about whether or not to call Nabooru. School had ended for the day and I was the first person at home. Knowing Mother, I knew she wouldn't arrive home for at least a little while, which meant that I could have enough time to chat long enough with Nabooru. I sucked on my bottom lip. Sheik had made it sound as though she were quite disappointed about not being included in our last outing. He said that I should attempt to make it up to Nabooru somehow.<p>

Spending the day with her sounded like a good idea, and I knew that this Sunday would be perfect. Being that Mother was having to attend some sort of function at the University, I would be home alone. I grinned at the thought. If Nabooru came over and hung out for a few hours, Mother would never know. I could text her once Mother left and she could leave before Mother came home. The more and more I thought about the situation, the more I knew I wanted to call her.

Dialing her number, I pressed the phone to my ear and waited for her to pick up. Three rings later, the recipient, rather politely, asked: "Hello?"

"Nabooru!" I exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Zel, is that you?" She asked.

I sat down in my desk chair. "Yes, it's me. Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to do something this weekend." I pursed my lips together. "Meet up sometime… perhaps this Sunday?" Nabooru took a minute to reply.

"That sounds like a plan. Saria and I were planning to get some Christmas shopping done at the mall. Would you like to come with us?" Christmas shopping? Going to the mall? That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but if it meant spending time with Nabooru, then why not.

"That sounds great!" I smiled.

"We're going on Sunday, since Christmas is only a few weeks away, after all. We want to get some shopping done before the annual rush, you know?" She asked. I nodded, and then remembered she couldn't see me.

"What time on Sunday?" I questioned, leaning backwards as I deciding that I wanted to move the topic forward. Being that I was rather subtle with this idea, Nabooru barely noticed what I was attempting to do in such a great fashion and continued on without hesitation whatsoever.

"Eleven." She answered. _Perfect,_ I thought. _Mother's leaving at ten, so we're set._

"Can we pick you up then?" Nabooru asked. "Or will your Mother still be at home by that time?"

"She'll be leaving the house at ten." I smiled rather proudly ever so slightly giddy that my pan was working so well. Nabooru laughed, realising what I had meant by my tone of voice.

"Perfect. We'll come by your house around ten-thirty or so, and from there we'll make our way to the mall. See you then, Zelda." And with that, she hung up. Startled, I withdrew my phone from my ear and shut it. Staring towards the small object for a moment, I sighed and deposited it onto the desk.

"Oh well..." I decided with a shrug and then directed my attention towards some work. "I better get started on my Chemistry." I groaned at the very notion. "_Fun, fun, fun!_" I muttered sarcastically and picked up my pencil. The faster that I was to get Chemistry over, the better. It wasn't like I was going to drag it on for hours on end. Din, give me strength, I couldn't do that.

* * *

><p>Mother left bright and early Sunday morning, earlier than I expected her too. When I woke up and descended the stairs in my pyjamas, she was nowhere to be found. I walked into the kitchen and found a note lying on the table, stating that she would not be back until very late this evening. I grinned and headed towards the fridge. "I still have a little over an hour before Nabooru and Saria are going to come by."<p>

With the pitcher of milk in one hand, and jam in the other, I walked towards the table and deposited them both onto the hard surface. With one more return to the fridge for bread, I started to prepare myself some breakfast. Not in the mood for much, I settled on just some toasted bread and jam. I giggled without thought and walked towards the toaster. I dropped two pieces of bread into each side and hit down the lever. While waiting for it to be finished, I searched for a knife and poured myself some milk.

By the time I was done, so was the toast. Plate ready and waiting, I grabbed both slices, dropped them onto the plate and marched back towards the table. My stomach growled appreciatively and I grinned, spreading a massive amount of strawberry jam over the toast. I took one bit and felt my eyes roll back. It was divine! Well for toast, anyway.

_Ring! Ring!_ My phone that was placed conveniently on the counter vibrated. I got up, one piece of toast in hand and reached for the item. It was a text sent from Saria. Quickly reading over it contents, I decided to not text them, but just call them. I brought the phone to my ear and dialled her number. "Saria, are you there?" I asked, hearing a somewhat echoic sound from my own voice that I reveled in when I heard it.

"Yeah." She replied a moment later. "I'm here with Nabooru. She just picked me up about two minutes ago…" She sounded like she had something else to day, and it worried me from her tone of voice. "I know this is sudden," She added on cue. "But we're not coming by your house at ten-thirty."

"You're not?" I gaped.

"No." She repeated. "We're actually on our way right now. We should be there in ten minutes or so." My toast nearly fell from my hands. "Zelda, you there?" Exclaimed Saria.

I blinked, stumped for too long to count. "Oh, um, yes… I-I am." Laughing nervously, I walked back towards the table. "I'm just a bit… surprised by the timing, that's all."

"Sorry about that." She apologized. "But Nabooru wants to get there before the crowds show up. It is the weekend after all, and a weekend a few weeks before Christmas."

"It's fine. I understand." Balancing my dishes in one hand and the phone in the other, I hesitantly walked towards the sink. "I'll see you in a few minutes," I chimed. "Bye!" Before giving Saria the chance to talk any longer, I hung up on her. "Sorry Saria..." I whispered and placed my phone on the counter furthest as possible from the sink.

Vigorously and quickly, I washed the dishes and put them away. Scrambling to put the food back in the fridge, I rushed up the stairs and headed for my bedroom. I had next to no time to decide what to wear and just threw on whatever felt comfortable and warm. Making a speedy trip to the restroom, I brushed and flossed my teeth, washed my face and headed back downstairs.

By the time I was putting on my coat and shoes, someone knocked at the door. "Zelda? It's me, Saria." I unlocked the door and smiled. Saria stood before me and waved, wearing a cute green hat with a purple flower on its left side. "You ready?" She asked and walked inside.

"One minute!" I struggled to zip up my coat and boots. Saria patiently waited for me, and moved out of the way, as I stepped outside and locked the door. I nodded. "I'm all ready now."

She laughed and offered me a gloved green hand. "Let's get going then! Nabooru is in the car and wants to get moving." Together we walked down the steps and headed for Nabooru's car. Saria climbed in the back, and I got into the front. When I slammed the door, Nabooru looked my way and smiled.

"It's been a while, huh?" She said and started to drive down the street.

Both Saria and I buckled our seatbelts. "You could say that..." I decided with a nervous laugh.

Nabooru smirked. "We've got a lot to do today, Zelda. What time do you need to be home by?"

"No later than seven." Mother should be home around nine or so, so seven or before that would be perfect. Nabooru sighed.

"That'll be hard... but manageable."

Confused, I titled my head to the side about ready to ask why, when suddenly Nabooru stepped on the gas. I swallowed my sudden urge to scream and held onto the seat for dear life. Saria screamed Nabooru's name. "What's with the speed?" She demanded when Nabooru began to slow down. Nabooru eyed her through the driver's mirror.

"I wanted to make it through the green light." She answered simply, as if I should have known it. Hey, it wasn't like I could drive too and knew exactly what to do; I wasn't even looking out of the window! Saria and I glowered her way. "It was the only way to make it through on time." She stated as though it were nothing. Saria rolled her eyes.

"Nearly giving Zelda and I heart attacks is _not_ nothing, Nabooru."

"Big deal!" Nabooru chided. "People need that rush of adrenaline every once and a while. It keeps the heart pumping." She laughed at her own joke alone. However, neither Saria nor I found it to be very funny, though.

* * *

><p>Once Nabooru pulled into a parking spot and we walked inside, the sound of Christmas carols and holiday tunes filled the air. Every direction I looked, I saw glimmering Christmas trees, shiny ornaments suspended from the ceiling, people collecting money for charity and young children and their parents wearing matching Santa hats. It was all so sweet, but hectic at the same time.<p>

"Where are we going first?" I asked, moving past a rushing person.

"Agitha's." Saria answered. I nodded. Agitha's was a large and highly reputable department store within Castle Town. It sold a variety of clothing, shoes and jewellery, and even had their own line of appliances and furniture. Saria reached for my hand. "It's so crowded!" she hissed. "Nabooru doesn't mind the crowds, but I do. Zelda, can we stick together for this?" She pleaded sweetly.

I smiled warmly. "Of course we can."

She smiled back. "Wonderful. This shouldn't be so bad then!" Further ahead, someone shouted. "That sounded like Nabooru." Saria realized and led me through the crowds. Pushing past people, we saw none other then Nabooru, glowering towards an unsuspecting Sheik. He stood across the way and held his hands up, sporting that goofy grin of his. Next to him was a boy I didn't know, and on the other side was Link.

My cheeks tinted pink. Link looked my way and waved. "Zelda!" He headed towards us and reached for my free hand. I blushed even deeper. Saria pulled her hand out of mine and moved towards Sheik and the others, specifically towards the boy I didn't know. "That's Mido." Link whispered in my ear, managing to send chills down my spine. "He's the only one you haven't met yet."

"Ah." I nodded and locked eyes with him. "Anything I should know about him?" I joked.

"Well..." Link rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He's a bit… grouchy. He's not the nicest around people he doesn't know too well." My eyes widened. Link chuckled patted my shoulder with his free hand. "Don't worry, Mido knows about you already. Nabooru and the others have mentioned you to him so many times; he claims that he knows you inside and out already."

I snorted. "Are you serious?"

Link's grin widened. "Very." He answered, moving his face closer towards mine.

"You two! Please break up the love session!" Sheik called from across the way. Link moved away, but kept his hand entwined with him. "Thank you." Sheik laughed jubilantly. Beads of sweat formed behind the back of my head. Link, noticing the look on my face, chided: "Ignore him. He ate too many candy canes for breakfast."

I giggled and leaned my head against his shoulder. Link withdrew his hand from mind and wrapped an arm around my waist. Stumped, I looked up as I felt him pull me closer towards him. Even Saria and Nabooru looked surprised, watching us both with confused expressions. "So... what's the plan?" Link asked and leaned his head against mine: "You three here to get some shopping done?"

"T-That's the plan!" Saria stuttered before shaking her head. Nabooru nodded, watching him closely. "Nabooru and I wanted to get some shopping done before last minute."

"Exactly like us!" Sheik exclaimed and held Mido's hand high in the air.

"Let go of me! You dork!" Mido hissed and pushed him away. "People are staring because of your brainless antics!"

The look on Sheik's face was enough to send us all into a fit of giggles. Either Sheik's constant comedy or the Christmas spirit infecting us was the cause of this; though I took the chance to actually laugh naturally for once. Nabooru rolled her eyes. "In any event, since we're all here. So who's going where?" We all exchanged quiet glances. Nabooru groaned. "Saria and I are going to Agitha's. Sheik, where are you and Mido going?"

"What makes you think I'm going with Mido?" He shouted.

Nabooru crossed her arms over her chest. "Just answer the question, goofball!"

"Touchy!" He hissed.

"Zelda, do you want to help me look for a present for Aryll?" Link suggested to me.

"I'd like that." I murmured, nodding.

Saria grinned broadly. "Since Zelda and Link will be shopping together, that leaves you and Mido."

Sheik's jaw dropped. "What?!"

Mido slapped his forehead with his palm. "I'm not that bad to be around you dork!" He shouted, glaring towards Sheik. Sheik's eyes narrowed. He balled both hands into fists. "What did you call me?" He hissed.

"A dork!" Exclaimed Mido. "Because that's what you are!"

"Why you little shortie—!"

"Let's get out of here." Link interrupted them and turned in the other direction, taking me with him before blood was shed. I couldn't have been more relieved. The further and further we moved away from the others, the louder and louder their yells and shouts sounded. People beside us and across the way were glancing in their direction, and I felt more than relieved that Link and I were making our way away from them.

"I wish they could last one day without making a scene!" Link rubbed his throbbing temples. "It's always like this in the mall, when we go to the park or hang out at each others houses. One of them just has to go and say something, and the next minute you know, it's a full-out war." He made a face that caused me to laugh. "Anyway... let's start looking for something."

"You have any ideas?" I inquired curiously. A light shade of pink dusted his cheeks. "Link!" I groaned playfully.

He coughed and looked away. "I've had... a lot on my mind." He said, trying to defend himself.

"Like what?" I demanded shoving him lightly.

"Uh, s-stuff..." He answered, looking away from me. I shook my head and shifted close to him, but he pulled away and gestured to one of the stories. "Let's try this store." He whispered and led me towards a small toyshop. The front window was decorated with many plastic snowflakes and twinkling lights of all colours. Candy canes hung from the low ceiling and fake snow covered the tabletops and shelves, reminding me of Sheik instantly. "I'm sure we'll be able to find something in here."

"Maybe." I mused before adding: "What sort of stuff does Aryll prefer?" I honestly had no clue about the little girl's preferences. I had only talked with her for a little over three minutes. That's not exactly the best amount of time one can have to learn of what others like; especially little girls.

Link pursed his lips together. "She keeps going on and on about wanting a new stuffed animal."

"That's a good start." I said, although it sounded slightly sarcastic.

"Might you both need some help?" A clerk questioned and moved towards us.

Link raised his hands in protest. "We're fine, thank you." The clerk looked somewhat disappointed but walked off, leaving us alone. In the meantime, Link and I began to examine the store, looking for any stuffed animals.

"I think they're in the back." I reached for his hand and led him down an aisle. We came to the back wall that was covered in stuffed in animals. Rows and rows were filled with adorable stuffed Parella, Kikwi, Loftwings, Remlits and Mogmas. "These are so cute!" I reached for a small blue Loftwing. I pressed it to my face and held it close. The Loftwing was so soft.

"You like it?" Link asked, moving towards me.

"It's so cute." I mumbled, closing my eyes, "And soft, too."

Link's rich laughter filled the air. "Think Aryll would like one?" He questioned.

"I think she would _love_ one." Link reached for a stuffed Loftwing but stopped. Question marks hovered above my head. When I asked, he pursed his lips together. "I think she would like a Remlit too." He answered with a tired sigh. Curious, I leaned in closer and examined the various stuffed Remlits. While cute with their wide eyes and overly large ears my thoughts remained transfixed on the stuffed Loftwings.

"Link, Aryll is your sister." I began. "If you think she would like a Remlit more, then you should get her one."

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "I... I think I know what I'm going to do." He said.

"Wonderful!" I beamed.

Link then reached out for one Remlit and one red Loftwing. My eyes widened. "You're getting two?"

He shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what to say for a while. "Sure, why not." I placed the Loftwing back onto the shelf and shrugged myself. "Hey, I'm one-hundred percent sure. Now come on, let's go to the register." While Link paid for the two stuffed animals and watched the clerk bag them, I was busy examining a few of the cards they had on display down another aisle. So many were colourful and cheerful they just caught my attention immediately.

Giggling slightly, I bent down and reached for one, bringing it closer. "Seasons Greeting..." I read aloud and opened the card.

"Zelda?" Link called.

"I'm over here!" I shouted and looked down the aisle, waving. I saw Link carrying a large white bag and couldn't stop myself from smiling. Whenever I was around Link, I noticed. I smiled much more than usual, knowing that his aura was infectious. Link saw me and nodded. However, his eyes suddenly widened and the bag dropped to the ground. I titled my head to the side, confused. "What's wrong?" I mumbled.

"Zelda!" He shouted and rushed forward, pushing me down. We skidded back, arriving to the very end of the aisle. I groaned and looked up, my vision a bit hazy.

"W-What… was_ that_ for?" I gulped. Link lay atop me and pointed towards the other end of the aisle with one hand. Then a bang erupted into the air. My jaw dropped. Lying on the ground was the entire bookshelf that had been filled with cards. My face paled. "I... I could have been squished!" I realized, fearful.

"I saw the aisle wobbling." Link informed me. "It looked like it was about ready to come down. I didn't want you to end up as a pancake." He joked lamely.

I pursed my lips together, yet this was more due to my shock and fear over what had just occurred. "T-Thank you for saving me." I stuttered and blushed.

Link brushed away a few strands of my hair. "No problem." For a few minutes, we just kept staring at each other. I was lost in a never-ending sea of ocean blue pools and felt as though I were in heaven. Link shyly bit his bottom lip and looked away, breaking the ever constant stare. "Zelda, are you okay?" He asked and got off me.

I clutched my head and sat up. "Other than being shocked at the constant knock down, I think I'll live." Link chortled, much to my surprise. "What about you?" I asked, studying him. Link got to his feet and helped me up.

"I'm fine." He answered simply. "Nothing but some initial surprise." He grabbed me by the hand and led me towards the knocked down aisle. "But I don't think the bookshelf survived..." He informed me dryly. I rolled my eyes. That was obvious to tell. The back of the bookshelf was dented and with a massive hole in its center. "Poor thing." I pretended to sniffle.

I shook my head. "We're both okay and no one else was injured. That's the most important thing." He bent down and inspected the bookshelf. "I wonder how this thing fell though. A minute ago, it looked perfectly secure and then it fell." He scratched the back of his head. "Weird."

"Very weird." He added. However, in the back of my mind, I felt something was off. I looked around the store, trying to find any signs of anything unusual. Nothing looked wrong and I sighed in relief. Yet when I glanced outside and saw someone smirking my way, my face paled. Backing away, I moved closer towards Link.

"Look..." I whispered and nudged him with my elbow. He followed my gaze towards the front of the store, and I felt him tense up beside me. I begged to the Three that all I saw was nothing but a delusion, but if Link could see it too, then I obviously hadn't been respecting the Sisters as much as I should have done.

Standing outside of another store with shopping bags in their arms was none other than Ruto and Ilia.


	17. Unbalanced Emotions

**Chapter Sixteen: Unbalanced Emotions  
><strong>

**Written: **November 11, 2012

* * *

><p>Link hissed venomously. "Did they plan this?" He eyed them both angrily, his eyes glazed over with hefty amounts of disdain.<p>

I sucked my bottom lip, worried. "I'm not sure," I whispered. Across the way, Ilia waved at Link and Ruto offered a meek smile. They raised their identical shopping bags and continued to walk on. Link and I stared them down until they were lost in the sea of endless shoppers.

Link groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't stand those girls."

I sighed. "Are we going to have to pay for the damages?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure," he confessed and glanced in my direction. "This store should have cameras in it—all stores do. If they see what happens on the security footage, I'm sure that neither of us will be blamed."

"Are you two okay?" The clerk rushed towards us, a worried expression covering their face. "I saw what happened. Are either of you hurt?"

Link moved closer towards me. "I'm fine and so is Zelda—at least, I think she's okay."

I smiled meekly. "I'm fine, too."

The clerk heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was helping a customer when I saw the shelf go down." They gestured towards Link with a nod of the head. "I saw your boyfriend drop his bag and rush over to save you. Lucky for his quick thinking, if not, you could have ended up experiencing some pretty painful pain." All three of us cringed.

Link cleared his throat. "Zelda was concerned about the cost of damages."

The clerk shook his head. "Don't worry; neither of you will be charged. We have security cameras set up throughout the store. Every minute of every day is captured and recorded by the security cameras. I'll be sure to tell my manager what happened today. Later on, we'll watch the security tapes and verify what happened."

Link and I exchanged similar glances. Though the clerk sounded positive that we wouldn't be charged for anything, how they phrased the matter made it sound entirely different. I tugged at my blouse collar. Link reached for my other hand and gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be fine," he whispered into my ear. Blushing a light shade of pink, I replied, "I hope so."

The clerk continued to talk for a few more minutes, explaining what would happen in more detail. In the end, he requested to have our names and phone numbers just in case. "I know that neither of you orchestrated this setting… but to be sure, I just want your names and numbers—in case we need to contact you sometime in the future."

Slightly apprehensive about distributing vital information to the clerk, I was nervous as I wrote down my first and last name on a white sheet of paper. Sprawled neatly on the very top of the page was Link's name and number. I assumed the telephone number was his home number, since that was not his cell number listed.

"Zelda, do you want some help?" Link stood beside me, watching as I held the pen in my hand.

"How can you help me?" I hissed, slightly annoyed.

Link chuckled. "There's a reason why I put down my home number and not my cell number."

I titled my head to the side, curious. "Why?" I asked.

Link held out his hand, gesturing for the pen. Reluctantly I gave it to him. "Please move," he said as I stepped out of the way. Watching him move towards the paper, I saw him scribble down a phone number in a style that highly resembled mine. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the number was actually his cell phone number.

My jaw dropped. "Link, are you sure?"

He shrugged. "It's no big deal. If anything pops up, I'll send you a message and we can work things out from there." To him it seemed like nothing, but to me, the entire ordeal in itself was more than stressful.

I rubbed my throbbing temples. "C-can we get out of here?"

Link raised a brow and smiled. "I thought you would never ask." He deposited the pen onto the counter and grabbed the paper in one hand. I watched him walk towards the clerk, who was busy assisting another customer. The clerk accepted the paper with a smile and thanked Link, who was making his way back towards me. With a wide grin, he extended an arm forward. "Shall we get going?" He laughed.

My heart fluttered. "We shall," I giggled and accepted the gesture, exiting from the toy store.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you're <strong>not <strong>staying?" Nabooru screamed through the other end of the phone. Link and I sat inside his car, his phone turned to speaker mode. "I thought this day was supposed to be time for the three of us to bond?" By three, I assumed she was referring to Saria, herself and I.

I chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry, Nabooru, but things… popped up." That was the best method to phrase the entire situation that had just occurred.

"What thing happened that was so urgent it made you both want to leave early?!" She yelled.

I jumped further back into my seat. Link, however, remained composed. "It's not something that can be discussed so openly," he stated calmly. Nabooru screamed again. Link sighed. "We'll explain everything later—preferably, someplace quiet."

Nabooru hissed, "Fine. But you had better explain soon, for I am sick and tired of being kept out of the loop."

I frowned. "Nabooru, I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," she replied, a little bit calmer. "I just want to be included in these discussions too. You understand, no?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

Link smiled. "Zelda and I are in my car. Sheik and Mido came in a separate car."

"That's good." She sounded slightly bored. Link and I glanced towards each other. "Nabooru, we'll call you later." Link said and reached for his phone, intending to end the call. "Good luck shopping with Sheik and Mido—the goddesses above know you'll need it." I giggled under my breath.

"Thank you, Link." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And Zelda, I heard your giggles. Don't try and hide them!"

Startled, I covered my mouth with my hands. I imagined Nabooru smirking as she answered, "That's better. Anyway, I'll see you both later. Don't have too much fun without us." And with that, she hung up.

Link shut his phone and slid it into his pocket. "You ready to get going?" He questioned.

I nodded, "Um, yeah." I reached for my seatbelt and buckled myself in. Link offered me a small, reassuring smile before starting the car and backing out of his parking spot. For a while, neither one of us said anything. Link was too busy navigating his way through the crowded parking lot, and I was busy watching people exit from their vehicles and make beeline dashes for the mall entrances. By the time we reached the main intersection, I was perfectly content with the ongoing silence.

"Zelda, about what happened." Link said, coming to a stop.

"Hmm? What about it?"

Link clutched the steering wheel tight. I saw his knuckles turn a pale shade of white. "… Has anything besides this… no, like this happened to you?" When the light changed, he stepped on the gas. I studied Link's expression, noting his furious and infuriated glare. "Well, has it?" He said again, his voice slightly huskier than before.

I pursed my lips together. Memories of the notes I had found stuffed inside my locker, the never-ending glares from other girls, and conversations people have about me behind my back—literally. I gulped. "H-how much do you want to know?"

Link's eyes widened. He swore and suddenly stepped on the breaks. "Link!" I screamed, startled. Behind us, a small line up of cars stopped, too, beeping their horns in a highly angered fashion. I watched them from the right rear-view mirror, beads of sweat forming behind my neck.

"Um, Link, shouldn't you g-get moving?" I suggested nervously.

Link hissed and released his foot on the break. He eased the gas peddle and turned down the nearest side street. Turning his blinker on, he pulled to the side and turned off the car. "Zelda, why didn't you say something sooner?" he ran a hand through his hair, agitated.

I blushed and sucked on my bottom lip. "How was I supposed to e-explain this?"

Link sighed. "With a phone call… even a text." He grumbled.

My blush worsened. "I'm sorry," I apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He fingered the car keys. "It's those annoying girls who should be saying sorry. They nearly killed you today."

"But I'm alive," I replied, forcing a small laugh. "And it's all because of you." Link glowered in my direction. I frowned and looked away. "Not a good joke, huh?" I whispered.

"Not really." He stated dryly.

I gulped. "In any event, what sort of things has been happening?" Link asked, wanting the conversation to move forward. "What have those girls been attempting to do?"

I toyed with my hands. Right now, they felt incredibly sweaty. "Can we go to my house?" I asked and looked towards him seriously. "If you take me there… I have some things I can show you."

"Zelda," he began, warning me. "This better not be—"

"Its not!" I exclaimed. "Its just some notes and things I think you should see!" Right there and then, I felt like slithering under a rock and staying there for a long, long time. Never have I ever raised my voice like that before—and to a boy, no less. Oh, Din.

Link arched an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Sure," he said and started the car. I kept looking away, not bothering to meet his gaze. I was still too embarrassed by what just transpired… escaping from my lips.

"Zelda, there's nothing to be ashamed of." Link said and came to the end of the street. "You just raised your voice. It's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by." I sunk further into my seat. "You're just mad like I am. If anything, you deserve to yell and scream. Just, don't commit any ill acts." His eyes twinkled with mirth.

I bit down on the inside of my cheeks, trying to hold back a chuckle. Link eyed me for a moment, before turning down another street. "I can tell that you're trying hard to not laugh." I clenched my teeth together. "That's a sheer sign that you must be feeling a bit better."

I exhaled a sigh. "Can we stop talking about this?" I questioned.

Link scrunched up his nose. "I'm afraid not," he admitted sadly. "Even if we were to push this dilemma to the side, it wouldn't do us any good." I pouted, knowing all too well that he was right. "The problem won't go away so easily, Zelda. You should know that."

"I know that. But I can wish, right?"

Link chortled, coming to a stop sign. "I suppose," he mused.

I grinned and stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets. "In any event, how are we going to bring up this event with the others?" I shuddered at the thought. Though Link had known Sheik, Nabooru and the others much longer than I had, that does not mean that I don't know their personalities and how they would react to the situation. Shivers ran down my spine at just the thought.

Link sighed. "I haven't gotten that far yet," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I was actually hoping that you might have some sort of plan."

"Far from it," I whispered. "I'm just as stuck as you."

Link and I sighed in unison. "… We'll worry about the explanation later." He decided, slowing down when nearing my street. "For now, just show me what you wanted me to see. Then, we'll take it from there."

Question marks hovered above my head. I wondered just how well he would act after seeing the notes; I thought and waited until he stopped the car. I climbed out and walked towards the front porch, trudging up the driveway and stairs. Link followed from behind, keeping a small distance between us. I frowned and unlocked the door.

"I'll take your coat," I mumbled and began to unzip my boots.

"Thanks." He nodded and walked inside, shutting the door behind him.

"No problem." I slid off my coat and extended one arm forward, waiting for him to hand me his. Link quickly unzipped his coat and slid off the garment, handing it to me. Quietly, I hung up both coats and then shut the hall closet.

Here goes nothing, I decided, semi-frightful.

"Link, please wait in the kitchen, I'll bring the… stuff down in a moment." Not even waiting for a protest, I walked towards the stairs and headed to my room. Upon reaching the familiar environment, I moved towards the bed and got down on all fours. See, I made sure to keep the notes hidden in a place I knew mother would never check. Though, to begin with, mother never checks my room, so where I would hide the notes would not make much of a difference. Nevertheless, as I fingered the small box and pulled it out from under the bed, wiping off a faint layer of dust, I felt my insides churn.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." I mumbled and exited from the bedroom. "Link won't overreact. It's not in his nature to do so." I walked down the stairs, carrying the box close to myself. When I entered the kitchen, I saw Link standing in front of the coffeemaker.

"Want something to eat?" I offered and set the box onto the table.

Link turned around, startled. He held in his hands two red cups. "Um, that would be nice," he said and deposited the cups onto the counter.

I giggled and headed for the fridge. Luckily, mother had cut up some fruit the night before. She wouldn't mind if Link and I ate some of the food—or rather, all of it. I rolled my eyes playfully and pulled out the various containers.

"You okay with fruit?" I asked.

"Anything is good."

I stifled a laugh, "Wonderful then."

Link turned on the coffeemaker and directed his attention to the table. "What's in the box?" He asked and moved forward.

"… Notes," I gulped. Link eyed me, his expression blank. "From girls in school," I whispered.

"I see." Link reached for the box. "Well then, I hope you don't mind me looking at them now." He pulled off the lid and sat down in one of the empty chairs.

Shivers ran down my spine. "Be my guest." I gulped and waited for his reaction.

Three… two… one…

"**They wrote this?!"**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note - <strong>Sorry for the delay... if you consider this a delay. X3 Anyway, chapters might be coming out every other week now. School is beginning to become hectic... as usual. This year is especially important. I have to try really hard, so fanfiction may be pushed back a bit. I will still update, just updates won't come as fast as usual for this story. Anyway, thank you for reading. :3

_~TriforceandSheikahArts**  
><strong>_


	18. Monumental Moments

**Chapter Seventeen: **Monumental Moments

**Written: **December 22, 2012

* * *

><p>I held my breath. "Yes Link, they wrote that." I noticed Link's grip on the sheets tightened. Inside I was sure that my heart rate increased by a tenfold. I bit my bottom lip.<p>

Link sighed heavily. "These girls," he groaned, "they're… nuts."

"Don't I know it?" He chuckled, though his expression remained firm and serious.

"Zelda, how many people know about these notes?" He asked, waving them in front of my face.

I made a mental checklist and counted them off. "Well, let's see: there's Saria, Malon, Ashei, Navi and Hena." Much to my surprise, Link spat a bit. I cringed and reached for the napkin dispenser. "Here."

"Thanks." He grabbed one and used it to wipe his mouth, his cheeks tinted pink. "Sorry about that," he apologized and crumbled the napkin, looking somewhere else. I chuckled.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

He exhaled in relief and leaned further back into his chair. I smiled meekly. "So that makes a total of six—including me." He deduced. "I'm guessing that Sheik knows from the gossip going around school. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if Mido knows a bit too."

I laughed nervously and sat back down in my seat, "How wonderful."

Link shook his head. "Your mom knows nothing about this, right?"

My eyes widened. "Not one bit!"

"I thought so."

My hands turned clammy. My stomach churned at the mere thought of telling my mother all the events that had transpired. For one, I knew she wouldn't be happy to know that I was interacting with others she deemed 'undesirable.' In mother's eyes, if you weren't as serious and driven as she was, you weren't worth her time. In addition, that same notion went for me, in her eyes, too, especially when it came to the friends I made. I bit my bottom lip. There was no way she would be happy with either Link, Nabooru and/or Saria—maybe Sheik—as my friends. That, added onto the fact that I have been texting and calling them secretly, and meeting up with them to have fun would only make the situation worse. Goddesses, she probably wouldn't be too upset about the trouble I've gotten myself into; she'd be more worried about how this would all affect my academics.

"Nayru," I shouted and leaned my head against the table, covering my face, "why's this happening?"

"Probably because you fell for me," Link answered. My head shot up.

"Not funny, Link!" I cried and reached for his crumbled napkin, throwing it at him. He moved back perfectly, allowing the napkin to fly right by his face.

"What?" He shrugged, laughing. "It's the truth."

"No." I snorted, "Its not."

"In who's world?"

"Let's see," I clicked my tongue, "let's try—oh, I don't know—reality."

Now it was his turn to snort. "Nice."

"Hey!" I raised my hands in protest. "It's the truth."

Link chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't let this get to you so much." He moved over a bit and reached for my hands. My breathing hitched as I felt his hands tenderly grazing mine.

"L-Link," I stuttered, my face heating up, "what are y-you doing?"

"Just be calm, Zelda." I could feel his breath tickling my face. "You're not alone in this. We're all here to help you." He was closing in the distance. "None of us will let you go through this alone." Then, his lips were on top of mine. All thoughts of mother and those notes evaporated in to thin air, leaving nothing but thoughts of Link in my mind. When he pulled away and wrapped an arm around my shoulders securely, I leaned my head against his, sighing deeply.

"Link," I mumbled a few minutes later, "are you sure that everything will work out?"

He squeezed my shoulder and ushered out, "Positive. You just need to have faith and believe in your friends."

Friends, huh? I thought, images of Nabooru, Sheik, Saria, Ashei, Navi, Hena and Malon swimming through my mind. "… You know what Link, you're right." I nodded, leaning against him more than before. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

><p>Once Link had left, I cleaned up our little mess and began my homework. There wasn't too much to do, but combined with the jumbled thoughts swirling inside my head, that made time pass by slow enough. By the time mother returned home, I had barely finished going through Sheik's practice test he'd made up for me.<p>

"Zelda, please come downstairs." Mother shouted from the foyer. "I have something I need to discuss with you."

Oh no, that didn't sound good.

"Umm, coming," I slurred and sat up from my chair. Sliding my feet in to a pair of slippers, I made my way downstairs. When seeing mother hanging her coat in the hall closet, not looking very pleased, I held my breath.

"Zelda, come down the stairs." She instructed. Obediently I followed her directives. She turned around and smoothened her pristine suit. "I have some news for you," she began. "Your dance instructor called during my lunch break. She wanted to notify me about the upcoming recital your studio will be performing. As expected, she called to explain what times the auditions will be held."

"A-auditions?" I stuttered. Mother eyed me. I stood straight and fiddled with my fingers.

"Mother, I completely forgot about the auditions. I suppose it must have slipped my mind." Each year, my dance studio hosts and organizes its yearly recitals. Like any other studio, each dance class is provided a part in the recital. The teacher in charge of that specific class will be required to choreograph and design a piece for their students in relation to the main theme of the dance. This year's theme is _Skyward_. It is a famous tale of how our ancestors from thousands upon thousands of generations ago discovered the surface, which we now inhabit. The two protagonists are well known throughout Hyrule: the Spirit Maiden and the Legendary Hero.

"Zelda, though you may have forgotten about the auditions, I have not." Mother chided, bursting my thoughts. "I have booked an audition time for you weeks in advance. Naturally, as expected, you will be auditing for the lead role." My eyes widened. "From past recitals, you have always managed to obtain the part you audition for—the lead role."

Again, my hands turned clammy. "Mother, what time are the auditions?"

"Tomorrow of course, Zelda, at seven in the morning."

"Seven!" I choked on my salvia. "Mother, why it is seven right now, that gives me no less than eleven hours to create a composition."

Mother, who didn't look the least bit phased, merely shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "Zelda, you should know that your instructor allows you to dance to whatever you desire. It does not even matter if you do not have a proper piece create. Last year, I also seem to recall that you did not audition with a pre-choreographed dance, and you still managed to obtain the lead role." Now she was heading for the kitchen. "You just need to put in a few good hours of practice this evening and early morning tomorrow, and you will be fine."

I opened my mouth ready to protest, but shut it. "Fine," I exhaled and crossed my arms over my chest. "I will head upstairs then and change in to my leotard." This time, I didn't bother to give mother a chance to speak; I was already heading up the stairs and more specifically, away from her.

* * *

><p>Just as mother had stated before, I never managed to properly create a working routine. With stretching, finding sustainable music to use and finishing my homework, I never had enough time.<p>

"Wonderful," I hissed, stuffing my jeans and sweater inside my backpack. Currently, I was in the change roof of the studio, my hair tied back in a securing bun, and my usual ensemble for lessons on. All around me, a hoard of other girls between the ages of fourteen to eighteen were preparing themselves, each wanting to audition and possibly gain a role of their preference. From what I had heard thus far, I knew that another seven girls—not including me—were auditioning for the lead role, the Spirit Maiden.

I sucked in a breath and zipped up my bag. "Showtime," I said to myself and walked out of the room. Since mother was all the way on the other side of the room when I exited, that made my nerves lower a bit. However, not by much, because one person just had to come along and raise them again… Ilia.

"Zelda, I hear that you're auditioning for the lead role." She was standing beside me now, smiling cosmetically. I forced myself to turn around and face her. "That's wonderful to know."

"Hello, Ilia." I nodded, "How nice to see you."

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Zelda, I just wanted to wish you luck." She moved closer towards me. Instinctively, I took a step back. "Since you know, we're both auditioning for the lead role." Of course, I bit the insides of my cheeks. "And since you've managed to obtain the lead role in the last _three_ productions, I just thought it would be worth your while to wish you luck again." She extended a hand forward. "Because this time the end results could be different... you never know." She batted her eyelashes.

Forcefully, I made myself shake her hand. "Thank you for the… complement." I struggled the entire way through. "I wish you the best of luck too." Yeah right, I thought to myself. "May we both have an equal chance in attaining the role we want."

She raised an eyebrow. "Nicely said… for an old lady."

I swallowed and pursed my lips together. I would not allow myself to fall to her level.

"Ilia Ordona, we are ready for you now." The door closest to us opened, revealing a slim young woman. In her hands, she held a clipboard. "Are you ready?" She asked Ilia.

Ilia turned around from me and said sweetly, "Of course I am."

The woman beamed. "Wonderful. Please come in."

Ilia walked forward, but not before turning around and offering me a quick snide look. "Best of luck, Zelda," she waved, "you'll need it." And then, she shut the door.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, the door opened again and Ilia walked out confidently, not sparing me a single glance. When the same woman from before emerged a minute later, carrying her clipboard, she called out my name and ushered me inside. She shut the door behind me and led me straight to the middle of the room. In front of the mirrors, a small table was set up with three people sitting behind it. I recognized one of the three people—it was my dance instructor—and the other two I didn't know. Regardless, I smiled and curtsied.<p>

"Zelda, whenever you are ready." One of them spoke. I nodded and settled myself. Taking in a deep breath, I waited until the woman with the clipboard turned on my required music. Upon hearing the calming sounds of the classical song begin, I lifted myself up on my toes and began.

* * *

><p>"You are certain they were smiling?" Mother questioned for the eighth time that afternoon. We were seated at the table, eating our lunch, and her persistent questioning was beginning to irritate me to my wits end.<p>

Wiping my mouth with a fresh napkin, I stated, "Yes mother, they were smiling as I left."

She raised her teacup to her mouth and took a sip. "Was it a large smile or small?"

"Small, why?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ignorant child," she chided.

I bit on my tongue, pretending as though I hadn't heard the discourteous remark. Reaching for my fork, I was about to take another mouthful of pasta when someone knocked on the door.

"I wonder who that could be." Mother mused to herself.

"I shall investigate." I stated and got up from my seat. Feeling mother's gaze on me, I straightened my posture and adjusted the blouse I was currently sporting. Now standing before the door, I did a quick check of my appearance and then unlocked the entrance. And standing before me with a green cap and matching pair of gloves on was Hena.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong> – I'm sorry for the wait. It's just been busy with schoolwork and getting ready for the holidays. Whenever I had the chance to sit down and write, I was working on other stories. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I just want to wish you all a wonderful **Merry Christmas** and **Happy Holidays**. May both you and your families have a wonderful holiday(s) spent together.

All the best,

sincerely,

~TFSA


	19. AN: Please read!

Hi everyone,

Its been a long time, huh? Over a year... *blinks* I honestly didn't expect to take that long to post, well, anything on this story. I'm sorry to any of you who saw this posting in their inbox's and thought it was an update. Anyway, to get right to the point, because I'm sure some of you are thinking this: **I AM NOT ABANDONING THE STORY!** I will finish it, and will try my hardest to meet your expectations in finishing it. Now that that's been settled, I suppose I should explain my lack of updates, no? I won't get into the long description like I've seen some authors do previously, but I will admit that real life has become much busier for me this year, and that its mostly (like 80 percent) of the reason for the lack of updates on, well, all of my stories, not just counting this Zelda story. I have received some PMs (private messages) from people asking me if I will continue to update my stories, and I and aiming to update and finish them all. I know, I know, I've already said that before, but it is true. To me, my fanfics hold an important part in my heart, since its through this site that I've learned and grew as a writer, and have made some wonderful friends. It's always wonderful to know that people like my stories... even the weird crossovers I've previously written, and it never fails to make me smile in seeing that someone had Favorited or placed a story of mine in their 'alerts' section, or whatever its actually called. :3

To move onto the next issue of this fanfiction, I want people to answer honestly: do you want me to finish this story? Besides the select few who have told me in private that they want the story finished, I am interested in knowing if there are more of you who want it finished. If there aren't, I would still continue to write the story, but knowing that I have readers who like the story and are waiting for updates make it even more worthwhile. I know the rest of you authors on this site would agree to that, no? Its true, because with fanfics we don't make profit from them, they're solely for entertainment and pleasure... and for me, helping to improve my skills as a writer. :P LOL, I'm getting sidetracked here, I tend to that sometimes, but anyway, I would love some honest opinions here. And if you feel there are certain parts in the story I should of going back to and revising, feel to mention to it. I always love constructive criticism - but please, no flames. If you want to flame the story, then please go somewhere else.

I suppose that about wraps up this author's message. I hope you all lovely readers are doing well, and if you've managed to read this entire posting, then congratulations. *claps* I hope you're all doing well, and in the weeks to come, I will seriously try my hardest to get a chapter (even if its a small one) out and posted.

Sincerely,

TFSA


	20. Deepening Bonds

**Chapter Eighteen: **Deepening Bonds

**Written: **August 8, 14

* * *

><p>Bright and early Saturday morning I awoke to the sound of someone pounding at my front door. Curious – and a tad annoyed – I scurried up from the covers, slid on my white robe and matching slippers and left my bedroom, quietly passing mother's room, which thankfully was empty. Descending the staircase, my slippers clacked against the hardwood making me cringe. When reaching the door, I stood on my tiptoes and looked out the small peephole. When I saw a familiar pair of brown eyes and a warm yet impatient smile, I blinked, surprised, and unlocked the door.<p>

"Good morning … Hena."

Dressed in a thick red parka with a contrasting pair of hazel gloves and winter tuque, Hena nodded appreciatively. "Morning, Zelda." She grinned. "It sure is a cold morning, ain't it?" Although her sentence sounded like a question, I could detect the opposite by her tone of voice.

I licked my lips, and felt a partial breeze emanate from outside that swiftly entered the house. I shivered even though I had on my thickest housecoat. "It definitely is." I was eager to shut the door. "Hena, would you, um, like to come inside?"

Without answering, the senior charged inside the house and shut the door behind her. I backed away involuntary and watched her exhale in relief. "Goodness that is _much _better." She said with chattering teeth. I cracked a half grin.

"Hena, would you like something to drink? Maybe some coffee or tea …"

"Tea," she chirped, "would be excellent, Zelda." She set about removing her boots and winter clothing. I took her jacket from her hands without question and went to hang it in the hall closet. Hena watched me but stayed silent. "Thanks, Zelda."

"Not a problem." Walking into the kitchen, I heard Hena following me from behind. She took a seat in the nearest chair and watched as I set about making the tea. When I had the kettle prepped with water and the stovetop cranked, I had to ask. "So, why were you knocking on my door this _early _Saturday morning?" I placed extra emphasis on the word early as it was barely seven thirty.

Hena laughed softly. "I'm here to check up on you, Zelda."

Check up? I arched a brow, not liking the sound of this. "What for Hena?"

Hena stared, transfixed, at the stove's flames. "Malon was getting a bit worried about you. She hasn't heard let alone seen hightail of you for a couple weeks now, and she wanted to know how things were going."

"But couldn't you have pointed that out to her, Hena? I mean, we sit together at lunch everyday." I pointed out obviously. To this, Hena blushed softly and shrugged.

"I suppose so." She muttered, looking anywhere but in my general direction. "… But I also had another reason for coming here."

"Oh?" I wondered what could've been her other reason. "If I might ask Hena, what is it?"

"This." She reached into her back pocket and withdrew an envelope with the name _Professor Winters _elegantly written across the centre of the manila folder.

I blinked.

… Was this a message for my mother?

My mother?!

I think my mouth nearly dropped in shock.

Hena seemed to notice my look and answered. "This is a message my father, Professor Poisson, for your mother, Professor Winters. They both work at the same University: United Castle Town. My father teaches courses for students studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology."

I whistled, impressed. "Wow. That is something."

She nodded. "I love his job. I've sat in a couple of his lectures before and he's just phenomenal." I swore I saw her bouncing up and down in her seat. This caught me off guard a bit since it's the first time I've seen Hena so excited about something. Generally, when I sit with her, Ashei and Navi at lunch, she's fairly calm and composed – along with Ashei. Navi, on the other hand, happens to be the loudest. She's always so excited, which seems to be more than enough for both Ashei and Hena combined. I suppressed a need to giggle.

Just then, the kettle startled to whistle. I turned around and walked over to turn off the stove. Grabbing two nearby cups, I prepared the tea. "So, does that mean you hope to major in the same field of study as your father?" I asked, curious, as I set a cup down before her, and sat down in the vacant seat across from her.

Hena took a small sip of the tea, sighing in what appeared to be contentment. "While I respect and admire my father's field of study, I must admit that it's not my biggest area of interest." She made a face which resembled a mixed cross of a smile and cringe.

I arched a brow. "No?" Just a minute ago she sounded so enthralled by the prospect of his work. "Then what are you interested in studying at University, Hena?" I fiddled with the handle of my cup, eyeing the puffs of steam that escaped from the mug with limited interested.

She took another small sip before answering with a large grin, "Marine Biology."

I rolled my eyes. "Hena, that's still in the parameters of Biology." Really, while it might focus on different environments and species, it was still encompassed within the same general bracket: Ecology.

Hena snorted. "Zelda, let's not start this. I've gotten into a lot of arguments with my father about this before." She licked her lips. "I'm not interested in starting one here too." Her eyes darkened somewhat, nearly mirroring the colour of the tea.

Silently, I mused over the situation wondering how her father could be willing to argue over something minor like a different branch of study. I sucked on my bottom lip, itching to inquire further but decided to hold back my curiosity. If Hena didn't want to pursue the topic then I had to respect her decision. With a mighty heavy sigh, I slouched forward. "Fine, I won't ask."

Hena seemed pleased and eager to move the conversation in another direction – specifically towards me. "So, Zelda, you're a junior, right? That means that next year you'll have to start looking into Universities. I know it's still a ways off, but do you have any idea of what you'd possibly consider majoring in?"

I thought it over. Whenever considering my future endeavours after high school, I always had a relative idea of what I wanted to pursue. Puffing a small amount of air, I murmured. "I guess I'd follow in my mother's path and study History."

"History?" repeated Hena. "What sort of history." She inched closer, leaning against her elbows for support. I briefly noticed that more than half of her cup was empty. I raised mine.

"Do you want some more?"

Hena nodded. "That'd be nice."

"Alright," I said, getting up. Grabbing her cup, I walked to the kettle and poured another fair amount of steaming water into her cup. "To answer your question Hena, I guess I'd say that I'm particularly interested in the history of Hyrule itself. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been fascinated with the many legends and folklores that surround us." I set the steaming cup before her before deciding to pour myself another cup. "I simply love the ideology behind history, learning about the lives and lifestyles of our predecessors." I licked my lips. "It's marvellous to think about how society has evolved not only through means of technology, but art, language, government, religion, and the like." I sat down again, this time fiddling with my palms. "I guess it must sound silly, huh, wanting to major in history?"

Much to my surprise, Hena snorted. "Not at all, Zelda; I mean, for one, look at your mother, who is a _history professor _at University. She must have liked history enough to want to pursue such a profession." I quietly sipped my tea, listening. "And, from how you described it, I can picture you studying history and maybe even anthropology."

"Anthropology, hmm?" I mused, processing it. "So, like a double major?"

Henna grinned, "Exactly. If you planned on going in that direction, you'd be doing the same thing as Ashei."

"What's Ashei interested in?" Hena had captured my attention. Akin to Hena, Ashei was a relatively quiet and soft spoken person … at least around me.

"Geoscience and History is what she intends to study, but predominantly the mythological aspects of history are her main area of interest."

"… What does she intend to do?" Those two majors sounded plausible, but had me intrigued.

Just what did Ashei hope to achieve, I wondered.

This time, Hena looked mildly amused; in fact, she seemed to be struggling to suppress the urge to laugh. "Well … Ashei has always had a pretty large fascination with Hylian mythology … particularly concerning rumours, documents and past and present sightings of, well, Yetis." She looked towards me and appeared to be awaiting my reaction. I merely stared, dead silent.

A minute later, I cleared my throat. "Hena … did you, um, say that Ashei was interested in studying _Yetis_?"

Smirking, Hena nodded, "Yep."

My eyes widened.

Holy Crow.

Hena seemed to find my reaction appealing for she decided to elaborate. "I don't know much of the logistics behind it, since I find her whole idea way too crazy … But, to put it in layman's terms, Ashei is dead fascinated in studying Yetis. Like you, since she was little she's loved folklore and history, but ever since I've known her at least, she's especially been intrigued by the concept of Yetis." She then chortled, much to my surprise. "When Ashei's done with University, she's got plans of heading up North to actually attempt to study the supposed 'sighting areas' where people have reported seeing them for years – or maybe centuries – now."

"… The Peak Province?" I inquired. "One of the coldest places in the world is where Ashei hopes to investigate once she's done her studies?"

Hena kept quiet but nodded. Again, she seemed to be awaiting some sort of response from me. On the other hand, I merely stared, utterly silent. "Hena," I spoke slowly.

"Yes?"

I leaned forward. "How do you expect me to react?"

Her answer: She nearly fell right out of her chair.

"Zelda, are you serious?!" She slammed both hands on the table, startling me. I nearly knocked over my tea in fright.

"Y-Yes," I wailed.

Hena gaped, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. For a minute, she actually reminded me of a fish, but I decided to keep my thoughts to myself, and instead focused on watching her intently.

She breathed out loudly before crossing her arms over her chest. "Zelda, honestly speaking, you don't find her interests … odd?"

I shrugged. "It is a bit … out there," I nodded in agreement, "but really, it's Ashei's life, not mine. If she is interested in pursuing such, as her friend, I ought to provide support and not judge her based on her interests – like I'd assume other people have based on your expression." I clarified pointing straight at her with my index finger.

Instinctively, Hena pursed her lips together. "Hmm …" She appeared to be deep in thought. I sucked on my bottom lip, awaiting her response.

"Zelda," she began. "… Honestly, I thought you'd be like me and be laughing your head off."

I titled my head to the side. "What would make you say that, Hena?"

She shrugged. "Navi and I tease Ashei about it all the time."

…

I nearly face palmed.

"Hena," I sighed unable to think of anything else to say.

"How about we move onto another topic?" She suggested, to which I nodded vigorously.

"Since we've talked about us, that leaves Navi," I mused, poking my left cheek with my middle finger. "What does she hope to pursue."

Hena sipped her tea once more. "Musical Theatre," she whispered.

I giggled softly. "I can easily picture Navi in that direction … She's quite bold and vivacious."

"Not to mention she's got a great voice."

"Really?" I leaned further back into my seat. "Navi sings?"

"Yep," the senior grinned. "She's a part of her Church Choir and is an active member of the local theater club – not at school."

I nodded appreciatively. From how it sounded, not one of us four was actively involved in our school's extracurriculars.

"Zelda, I—" A vibration caught Hena off guard. I watched, interested, as she withdrew her phone from her back pocket, turned it on and briefly skimmed through what seemed to be a rather long text message. Afterwards, she rolled her eyes. "Ashei and Navi want to come inside," she said simply, getting up from the chair.

"What do you mean?" I asked, following her to the front door. "Are Ashei and Navi outside?"

"Not exactly," Hena answered, rocking back and forth on the soles of her feet. "They are _waiting _but in the safety of my car."

I stopped walking and turned around to face her. "Hena, what in the Three Great Goddesses names were you thinking about leaving them out there?!" My voice rose by several octets. I hissed loudly before storming past her to open the front door and walk out onto the cold front porch with little protection other than my white fuzzy slippers and matching housecoat.

Hena stood within the safety of the house, but poked her head out the door. "Zelda, there's no need to get so agitated."

I rolled my eyes, and looked around to notice a small blue car parked off to the side. Navi and Ashei were slowly exiting the vehicle, and eyeing Hena and I wearily. I waved, smiling, before shooting Hena a stupefied look. "Why not have them come with you when you first knocked?"

Hena leaned in whisper inside my ear, "They've heard stories about your Mother, and weren't exactly too keen on meeting her."

I rolled my eyes. "One of you could have called me then." I walked back inside the house, shivering slightly. "All three of you have my cell number. Plus," I leaned in closer, this time poking her cheek, "had you called me, I could have told you that my mother would not be at home."

"And where is she then?" Ashei's soft voice questioned, catching me off guard. Hena and I turned around to watch as both Ashei and Navi entered the house and shut the door behind them.

"A conference," I murmured, watching Navi briefly dust off some inconspicuous snow dust while Ashei removed her mocha coloured hat.

"Ah." Navi beamed, grinning largely. "I feel better already."

I couldn't tell whether or not it was because my mother wasn't home or that she was inside a warm house, and not a cold car. Either case, I decided to let the issue drop and just let bygones be bygones.

"So?" Navi chirped, eyeing the three of us. "Is anyone interested in going out for breakfast?"

"I wouldn't mind something to appease my appetite," Ashei calmly agreed.

"Something to eat would be great," Hena added without missing a beat.

All three looked towards me expectantly. To this, I sighed and hung my head low. "Give me fifteen minutes to change and call my mother to inform her of the arrangements."

Hena smiled. "She should be alright with it, Zelda. After all, your mother and my father are on relatively close terms." She winked making me blink. "Just tell her that you're spending the day with us – be sure to mention my name and my father's – and it should all be fine. If she still doesn't agree to it, I'd be fine with talking to her."

I raised my hands in protest. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll manage."

She shrugged, grinning. "Suit yourself then."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>When rereading the old chapters, I noticed that I failed to stress Zelda's growing relationships with Navi, Hena and Ashei. Instead of just focusing on her relationships with Link and the gang, I felt the need to incorporate these three too, as they do play a vital role in keeping Zelda in company at school and away from those mean and nasty girls. X3 In the next chapter, Malon will be appearing again too, and Ashei and Navi will play more of a major role, that I can wholeheartedly guarantee.

This chapter might have been a bit too serious, but nonetheless, it was fun to write. Sorry if the conversation was weird, but I struggled to develop a somewhat coherent conversation Zelda and Hena could ACTUALLY have. The two really do have different interests, but I hope it was okay. :P Don't worry, Link and the others will appear again soon … After I've planned out what will happen. (T_T) Seriously, I am having major writer's block for this story. Even after reading the story over again, I'm still lost at where to continue it. I suppose you readers know what that means: If you have any ideas, _anything at all, _please feel free to suggest it. I would be forever indebted – and provide virtually delicious cookies too. X3

Thank you so much for reading. I apologize for taking over a year to update… I'm so bad.

Anyhow, all the best,

-TFSA

P.S., If anyone notices any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, feel free to point them out. :)


	21. Life's Simple Pleasures

**Chapter Nineteen: **Life's Simple Pleasures

**Posted: **August, 22, 14

* * *

><p>Hena parked across the street from the café, terminated the ignition, and unlocked the doors. "We're here." She laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt.<p>

"About time," Navi scowled and was the first to climb out of the car. "I'm so hungry I was about ready to rip off a piece of your upholstery and eat it."

Hena rolled her eyes while Ashei commented sardonically. "I suppose its good we pulled up when we did then."

I refrained myself from laughing when seeing Navi's narrowed eyes and pursed lips. She looked about ready to retort with a hefty comment, which further fuelled my desire to enter the café. Exiting the vehicle, the four of us looked both ways before crossing the street and entered the small building, wiping our sludgy boots on the large rugs situated before a wooden podium. Malon, who was in the midst of cleaning a table, looked up and smiled when seeing us.

"Hey there," she greeted us warmly, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. "Are you four here for breakfast?"

Before any of us had the chance to answer, Navi bellowed, "Heck yes!"

Malon laughed softly and grabbed four menus lying on top of the podium. "Well then, come this way." We followed her passing several tables seating two large families who looked to be struggling to keep their children from shouting, an elderly couple who were quietly conversing, and two people – travellers, I presumed – who had many large maps spread out over the tabletop.

"And here we are." Malon said placing four menus on the top of an auburn booth. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders."

"Thank you." I grinned, watching her venture towards another table.

"Zelda, you slide in first." Hena ordered, nudging me slightly. I frowned but said nothing as I unzipped and removed my coat, sliding down the bench. Hena followed suite and sitting across the way from me was Ashei. I smiled at her, which she reciprocated with a nod. I then grabbed my menu, opening it to the first page, which said in bold red lettering 'Breakfast Specials.'

Perusing the menu for a couple of minutes, I soon decided on ordering pancakes topped with maple syrup, strawberries, bananas and whipped cream. My mouth watered at the sight of the picture plastered in the right hand corner of the menu, making my stomach growl. Navi looked up from her menu with a huge wolf-like grin.

"You _hungry _too?" she inquired, emphasizing the word hungry to sate her own apparent hunger.

"You bet." I winked, making her snort.

"Well then, Oh Hungry Ones, have you decided what you're both going to order?" Hena asked, eyeing both Navi and I wearily.

Navi and I exchanged grinning glances, nodding appreciatory, "Yep."

"Zelda, what are you ordering?"

My grinned widened. "Pancakes topped with strawberries, bananas and whipped cream."

Ashei mused. "That sounds good."

"And you, Navi, what are you ordering?" Hena asked politely, still flipping through her menu.

"Easy," the bluenette grinned cheekily. "My usual order: a BLT sandwich with hash browns on the side and fresh fruit. And a large glass of orange juice too…. Maybe afterwards I'll even order a coffee for the ride home."

"You're both lucky to have already determined what to order. I'm still looking." Ashei murmured, skimming through the front page specials with a blank face.

"If you need some help, might I suggest the day's special: banana pancakes. Or, you could order what Zelda's ordering; that's pretty good too." Malon said, walking back to our table. Mere inches above her right shoulder, she carried four glasses of water atop a small black tray. She set the glasses down on the table, along with the tray, and reached inside the front pocket of her apron to withdraw a blue notebook and matching pen. "It sounds like Zelda and Navi both know what they want, but you two, Hena and Ashei, seem to be having some trouble."

Hena put down her menu. "I think I'm good now."

Malon grinned, clicked the pen open and flipped the notebook to a blank page. "Okay Hena, what'll it be then?"

Hena laughed. "French toast with scrambled eggs and freshly cut up fruit on the side, please."

Malon scribbled down her order, mumbling to herself. "Okay… and Ashei?"

Ashei sighed softly. "I suppose I'll go with your previous suggestion Malon, if that's alright."

"Certainly," the redhead barked with a hearty chuckle, writing down the order. "And, if I remember correctly, Zelda wanted strawberry and banana pancakes, and Navi's having her usual order, right?"

"Right!" chirped Navi, making the three of them laugh.

"And what'll be the drinks?" Malon asked. One by one, we told her our drinks then returned the menus to her. She took them with a smile and said our meals would be out shortly.

"Oh, I hope they come soon." Navi whined, wiggling around in her seat. "I'm so hungry; I think I might die of starvation before our meals arrive."

Ashei quietly sipped at her water. "Navi, if you're that hungry, perhaps you ought to return to the car and eat those seat cushions you were eyeing rather daringly during the car ride to the café."

If I had been drinking my own water, I would have surely spat it out. Ashei's remark was priceless, and the look Navi sent her way made both Hena and I burst into a loud chuckling fit.

"Ashei!" roared Navi, grabbing her by the shoulders and swinging her from side to side. "I'm not _that _desperate! How could you even suggest that?"

Still laughing, I wiped away a tear and answered for the silent ebony haired girl. "Well, Navi, you were the one who had originally commented on eating Hena's car upholstery."

Navi looked at me daringly. "It was a figure of speech, Zelda," she said warningly her teeth glimmering, reminding me of a predator about ready to pounce on an unsuspecting baby deer… which I assumed to be me.

Hena rolled her eyes. "You could have fooled us, Navi. I saw you through the driver's mirror and right away noticed those "hungry eyes" of yours." She nudged my shoulder making me snort. "There's no doubt about it … you looked ready to rip a large chunk of it right off – thereby running my car – which would have tasted terrible, and set you back a fair amount of money to pay me back for the damages you'd cause."

By now Navi was bright red – which looked quite horrid in contrast with her bright blue hair. Seeing those matching cerulean eyes bubble with anger, and her small hands balled into fists about ready to slam on smooth tabletop merely fuelled my desire to laugh… and apparently Hena and Ashei's too, for within seconds the three of us were laughing up a storm.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several people from tables away watching us. The elderly couple looked mildly irritated, along with the parents' of the children, but the kids themselves and the travellers seemed to find our antics amusing. I swore that if I looked closer, I could see that some were actually smiling… but I was too busy laughing to notice, let alone really care.

"Guys, stop!" Navi screamed, but the three of us only continued to laugh louder.

"I'm serious! You three better stop laughing or else!"

Ashei spoke. "What will happen if our laughter does not cease, Navi?"

Navi pursed her lips together, her eyes twinkling with freshly brewed flames. "You won't be getting your breakfast. I'll eat it before you even have the chance to taste it!"

"Yeah," Hena mused. "Right after you finish eating my car's upholstery." And just like that, the three of us were back to laughing away.

* * *

><p>The rest of breakfast had passed by relatively smoothly. Once Navi had calmed down, Malon arrived with our orders. Everything looked beyond delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Farore, I had been the first to finish, but what shocked me the most was how Navi wolfed down her food. She literally devoured it! It was more than obvious she was hungry, and the way those eyes of hers lit up upon seeing the meal made it almost worthwhile to see her smile, laugh and grin wider when taking that first bite of her sandwich.<p>

During the meal, the four of us engaged in light conversation, akin to our lunchroom chats at school; but this time, Goddesses' its hard to put in words, but it just seemed much more… relaxed and, well, fun. Ashei and I had surprisingly found quite a bit of pleasure in teasing Navi, and Hena seemed to know exactly how to irk the bluenette to her wits end. Like the previous times beforehand, Navi had tried to tackle our comments headfirst – meaning without thinking over a tactful reply – and each time she failed… **badly**. Briefly, a part of me had wondered if her responses were merely a ruse of some sort to make us laugh; but when seeing her glower or look flustered – for a minute I thought she might actually be seeing red – it was fairly obvious it wasn't, which just made it that much funnier for the rest of us. Even Malon seemed to enjoy our antics, for on more than one occasion she had stopped by our table to join in on the conversation. It made me smile to see the older redhead partaking in the discussion, and sometimes she even sat down with us for a couple of minutes while the café wasn't too busy.

All in all, it had been a lovely morning, and it was only after Hena dropped me off at home, waving me off with Ashei and Navi in the backseat, did I realize how happy I was that the three of them had stopped by. Without their visit, I would have probably woken up at my regular time, and make myself some something simple to eat before sitting down to begin my homework. When thinking about it, the thought of doing homework bright and early on a Saturday morning wasn't too appeal. In fact, it made my throat suddenly turn dry.

"I need some water." I cleared my throat in an attempt to cough, as I grabbed a nearby glass and walked to the sink. Filling it halfway with fresh water, I gulped it down vigorously before setting the cup down on the kitchen countertop.

"Ah, much better," I sighed contently and plopped myself down in the nearest empty seat. As of thus far, Mother still hadn't returned home. "I suppose I better destroy that little note then." I reached forward to pocket the note I had written with Hena previously before leaving for the café. With the note safely tucked away inside my pant pocket, I got up and exited the kitchen, deciding to head upstairs.

_I might as well get some of my stuff together; Sheik should be here in another hour or so. _Last night, Mother had informed me that Sheik would be coming over this Saturday afternoon to help me prepare for my upcoming Chemistry test – which isn't scheduled for another two weeks!

I grumbled under my breath, marching up the stairs loudly in an attempt to relieve some of the unwanted frustration I felt bubbling inside of me. Really, truthfully speaking, I had no desire to study today… even with my session being more than an hour away. After that fun breakfast, all I wanted to do today was relax and have fun. I heaved another sigh and walked inside my room.

It took less than five minutes to gather up my textbook, notes and school supplies, and another few seconds to mumble to myself. Quickly subcoming to boredom, I sat down on my still unmade bed and fell back onto it. Stretching, I yawned, titled my head to the side and looked at the clock. No little then three minutes had passed.

"Uhh!" I hissed, and without thinking, I abruptly sat up and reached for my cell phone. Dialling a number I now knew by heart, I hissed and waited for him to pick up.

Three rings later, I was greeted by a cheerful voice. "Hello, Zelda. Need something?"

I lay back down and fiddled with my hair. Absentmindedly, I twirled a single strand around my forefinger. "Sheik, are busy right now?"

He sounded confused. "No... Why?"

I grinned. "Well, I was wondering if we might be able to move up our current session…"

* * *

><p>"Now Zelda, tell me, what is the answer to problem three."<p>

I tapped my left cheek with the back of my pencil. "It should be three parts water and one part ammonia…" Less than forty minutes ago, Sheik showed up at my front door with his bag and a hearty smile. Upon my previous request to move up the lesson by an hour – since I was dead bored before and wanted to get this study session over and done with – Sheik arrived and delivered, much to my inner delight.

"That's right." He laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Hey!" I swatted his hands away. "Stop that."

He stuck out his tongue. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "So," he drawled, leaning back into the dinning room chair he was currently sitting in. "Mind telling me why you wanted to advance the lesson by nearly an hour."

I bit my bottom lip, sucking on it for a minute before replying. "… I was bored Sheik… Plus, I really didn't feel like having this session today – no offence intended."

"None taken," he bellowed, raising a hand, ushering me to continue. "I can relate, after all. It's too nice of a day outside to spend wasting away studying formulas and memorizing tables for a test that's _two weeks_ away." I detected a heavy notch of humorous and sarcastic tones in his voice, but decided to ignore it.

"Mother wasn't involved in this decision." I voiced as a sudden afterthought. "It was my decision alone to call you. And besides," I leaned in closer to whisper, "she's not at home right now either."

His eyes glimmered mischievously. "Oh, no need to worry about that, Zelda. I already knew that your crazy Mother wouldn't be at home." My eyes widened. Sheik seemed to like my dumbfounded expression, since I noticed that his lips quickly grew into a large smirk. "When I called her to let her know of your decision to move up the lesson, she actually sounded thrilled."

My jaw dropped. "You called my Mother, Sheik?"

He nodded as though it were no big deal. "Yep, before our first session, she had actually given me her cell number and requested – well, more like forced – me into giving her my cell and home phone number." He shut his eyes. "Generally speaking, she calls me once a week for about twenty minutes to inquire about the sessions and your progress." Eyes now open; he looked towards me and smiled softly. "Zelda, although her calls are—can be a prick to my very sensitive rear end"—I rolled my eyes—"she only seems to have your best interests at heart... Originally, I thought she wasn't anything else but a heartless prick—no offence intended since she is your Mom."

"None taken," I tooted sarcastically.

Sheik ignored my remark and continued. "Like I said before, she actually sounded kind of… well, happy… that you decided to advance the lesson by an hour." I watched him straighten himself in his chair and reach forward to flip through some papers in my Chemistry binder. "Don't get me wrong Zelda; she wasn't over the moon or anything, but it just sounded like there was actually some joy or something to her voice… if you catch my drift."

My eyes met his which cast an eerie silence in the room. Unsure of how to respond, I merely nodded, running my tongue across my bottom front teeth. "Um, yeah..." I flushed lamely. Really, how did he expect me to respond? Should I have begun to smile uncontrollably or something? To be frank, Mother being 'excited' by my sudden desire to move my class time up with Sheik by an hour doesn't really surprise me. Mother is a person who wholeheartedly supports any form of academic enrichment, and would most likely view my intention as nothing else but more time to study for my upcoming test… which she'll expect nothing less but perfect on. As usual. Joy oh Joy.

"She also wanted me to tell you something, Zelda." Hmm, this caught my attention.

"Go on, Sheik, tell me." I urged him with a wave of the hand.

This time, he rolled his eyes. "Nice, Zel… Anyhow, your Mother won't be home until late tonight. She said somewhere between eight or nine would be a "rough approximation" or something along those lines." I chuckled softly upon noticing his change in tone.

"Thanks for passing along the message Sheik." I nodded and then leaned over to pat his head. Akin to me before, his eyes narrowed and he swatted my hand away. "You're a good boy."

He huffed yet kept silent. "In any event, since your Mother won't be home until late and you don't seem too interested in studying right now, would you like to take… a little break?"

I arched a brow. "Define little please, Sheik."

He snorted then smirked. "How about we go visit Link and the others for a little while?"

I pursed my lips together, thinking it over. The thought of seeing the others again was greatly tempting, and the added notion of seeing Link again made my heartbeat suddenly increase. Trying to keep myself composed, I ran a hand through my hair and nodded. "That sounds good… It'd be nice to take a break from studying."

"Yep, because these last twenty minutes of studying were killer."

I reached for a blank sheet of paper, crumbled it in my hand, and threw it at his head. "Be quiet."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Sheik pulled his car up to the curb across the street from Link's house. I exited the car and shut the door behind me as I crossed the street to Link's front door, ignoring Sheik's blatant cries of indignation upon "leaving him alone in the car" and "not bothering to wait for him" and some other words I'd rather not repeat.<p>

Softly knocking on the front door, I was pleasantly greeted by Link opening the door mere seconds later. "Hey, Zelda," he greeted with a smile, making me blush. "Nice to see you… you too Sheik!" he shouted, watching him cross the street after a car drove by.

"Hi Link," I responded with a brief nod. "Um, yeah, it's nice to see you again too."

He ushered me inside. "Come on in. Though it looks nice out there, it can be pretty cold if you stay outside too long."

"Thanks." Blushing again, I struggled to conceal my face in the thickness of my blue scarf, which I had thankfully decided to wear and had wrapped around my neck several times.

"I can take your coat, if you want." Link offered, walking past me to open the coat closet.

Partially abashed, I unzipped my coat and slid off the warm garment to hand to Link. He gingerly took it with a hanger already in hand and slipped it overtop one, two, three. I used those seconds to remove my boots, gloves and scarf.

"Thanks for abandoning me, Zel." Sheik shouted from the front door suddenly catching my attention. Turning around to face him, I watched as Sheik dramatically inclined his head to the left, his ruby red eyes narrowed slightly while several strands of his golden hair poked out from his white hat, and clung to his cheeks like glue.

"Oh, for Nayru's sake," I grumbled to myself, "Just how exactly did I "abandon" you, Sheik?"

"You left – before I even had the decency to turn off the car! – just so that you could be the first one inside to see Link!" He pointed a finger accusingly in my direction, making me arch a brow and offer a dumbfounded stare.

Link then decided to enter the conversation. "Sheik, you are smarter academically than most, but otherwise… specifically, in this context socially, you're more inept then a clucking white Cuckoo searching the ground for a worm."

**"What!" **

Link, who seemed to be a professional at ignoring Sheik, simply shrugged and grabbed me by the hand, leading me out of the foyer and away from a steaming, red-eared Sheik. We entered the kitchen which happened to be vacant. "Zelda," he then whispered in my ear, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "I need to tell you something. In. Private." His words sent shivers down my spine.

I blushed. "I s-suppose that's why we're in the empty kitchen."

He laughed softly, making me smile, "Exactly."

I licked my lips. "Well, what do you want to talk about, Link?"

He rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. I watched, curious. "Remember our last trip to the mall, and the… incident that occurred." Memories of the falling shelf and the innocently smiling faces of Ilia and Ruto came to mind.

"Yes," I murmured hesitantly. "What of it?"

Link turned to face me directly. "Earlier this morning, the store manager called me on my cell phone. He said its nothing bad, but he would like to see you and me sometime today regarding the incident and what they captured from their surveillance cameras."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I would have had this posted much sooner, but I recently began to play a new videogame, and am way too addicted. Anyone here a _Tales of Xillia_ fan? I've nearly finished playing the first game, and simply adore it! But enough of that. X3

Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I'm so happy to know that there are still many people who are reading this story. It makes me smile so much. Thank you all for putting up my… okay, thanks for putting up my horrid lack of updates for the past year… There I said it bluntly. T-T

Also, this story finally reached past the 200+ review mark, which is SPECTACULAR!

Woo! *celebrates in the corner… all alone*

Like last time, if you see any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, please feel free to mention it. And I have a little surprise for you all… In the next chapter, Link will meet Zelda's mother. *Gasp* If you all want to read the chapter and find out what'll happen between those two, you know what to do. :) *wink, wink*

All the best,

-TFSA


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